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BIBLE  HISTORY. 
GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBOl. 
ARCHilOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE. 


■H^ 


BY  THI 

Rev.  WM.  HENRY  GREEN,  D.D.,  LL.D. 
9« 


BIBLE  HISTORY 


LESSOJr  I. 
FEOM  THE  CKEATION  TO  THE  EXODUS. 

Bible  history  divides  itself  into  two  principal  parj^s,  viz. : 
the  history  of  the  Old  Testament,  embracing  that  which 
precedes  and  is  preparatory  to  the  coming  of  Christ,  and 
the  history  of  the  New  Testament,  which  records  that  com- 
ing itself,  and  that  which  results  from  it  and  follows  after  it. 

The  history  of  the  preparation  for  Christ's  coming  begins 
with  the  expulsion  of  our  first  parents  from  Eden  and  the 
promise  then  given  (Gen.  iii.  15)  that  the  seed  of  the  woman 
shall  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent.  AVhat  precedes  is 
preliminary,  and  was  needed  to  explain  the  scene  in  which, 
and  the  circumstances  under  which,  this  progressive  victory 
or  this  process  of  redemption  and  recovery  was  to  be  accom- 
plished. The  narrative  of  the  creation  of  the  world  (Gen.  i. 
1-ii.  3)  provides  the  scene ;  man's  being  placed  in  paradise 
(ii.  4-25)  and  his  fall  (ch.  iii.)  supply  the  circumstances. 
The  original  promise  advances  to  its  accomplishment,  first, 
from  Adam  to  Abraham  under  a  general  covenant  embra- 
cing all  mankind  (Gen.  i.-xi.),  and,  secondly,  from  Abraham 
to  Christ  under  a  special  covenant  temporarily  restricted  to 
a  single  family  or  nation  for  the  ultimate  benefit  of  all  the 
families  of  the  earth.  Gen.  xii.  1-3.  The  history  before  Abra- 
ham is  divided  into  the  antediluvian  period  (Gen.  i.-viii.), 
before  the  destruction  of  the  world  by  the  Deluge ;  and  the 

postdiluvian  period,  from  that  time  onward  to  the  call  of 

103 


104  PREPARING  TO  TEACH. 

Abraham.  Gen.  ix.-xi.  The  history  after  Abraham  is 
divided  into  the  patriarchal  or  pre-mosaic  period,  preced- 
ing the  exodus  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  during  which  the 
chosen  seed  expanded  from  a  family  to  a  nation  (Gen.  xii.-l.) , 
and  the  history  subsequent  to  the  exodus  or  the  history 
of  Israel  as  the  people  of  God.  The  history  of  the  chosen 
people  is  again  divisible  into  three  principal  periods,  viz. : 
First,  from  the  exodus  to  the  death  of  David,  or  from  the 
organization  of  Israel  as  the  people  of  God  to  the  complete 
establishment  of  the  kingdom.  Second,  from  the  death  of 
David  to  the  Babylonish  exile,  which  continues  the  history 
of  the  kingdom  until  its  downfall.  Third,  from  the  Baby- 
lonish exile  to  the  advent  of  Christ,  during  which  Israel 
was  subject  to  foreign  domination. 

During  the  three  periods  from  Adam  to  Moses,  God's 
revelation  was  given  to  man  only  in  an  oral  form,  and  each 
period  was  distinguished  by  a  divine  covenant  peculiar  to 
itself  and  by  a  specific  promise  of  its  own  of  increasing  defi- 
niteness.  To  the  antediluvian  period  belong  God's  cove- 
nant with  Adam  and  the  promise  respecting  the  seed  of  the 
woman ;  to  the  postdiluvian  period  belong  God's  covenant 
with  Noah  and  the  promise  to  Shem ;  to  the  patriarchal 
period  belong  God's  covenant  with  Abraham  and  its  prom- 
ises, which  were  successively  renewed  with  Isaac  and  with 
Jacob,  and  the  signal  promise  to  Judah.  Gen.  xlix.  8,  fF. 

During  the  three  periods  from  Moses  to  Christ,  God's 
revelation  was  given  not  only  in  an  oral,  but  also  in  a  writ- 
ten, form*  At  the  beginning  of  the  first  period  the  five 
books  of  Moses,  commonly  called  the  Pentateuch,  were 
written.  The  rest  of  the  history  of  this  period,  from  the 
death  of  Moses  to  the  death  of  David,  is  contained  in  what 
might  be  called  a  second  Pentateuch,  or  the  five  books  of 
Joshua,  Judges,  Ruth,  1st  and  2d  Samuel.  To  the  close  of 
the  first  and  the  beginning  of  the  second  period — that  is  to 
say,  to  the  reigns  of  David  and  Solomon — belongs  the  greater 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  105 

part  of  what  may  be  called  the  third  Pentateuch,  or  the 
five  books  of  Job,  Psalms,  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes  and  the 
Song  of  Solomon.  The  book  of  Lamentations,  though  poet- 
ical, belongs  to  a  later  time,  and  may  be  regarded  as  a  sup- 
plement or  appendix  to  the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah.  The 
remainder  of  the  inspired  history  of  the  former  dispensa- 
tion, extending  from  the  death  of  David  to  the  end  of  the 
Old  Testament,  is  recorded  in  what  may  be  called  a  fourth 
Pentateuch,  viz. :  1st  and  2d  Kings,  Ezra,  Nehemiah  and 
Esther;  the  two  books  of  Chronicles,  which  cover  the  same 
period  as  Samuel  and  Kings,  being  supernumerary  and  not 
counted  in  the  estimate  here  made.  The  further  history,  to 
the  time  of  Christ,  is  contained  in  uninspired  though  authen- 
tic writings.  Near  the  close  of  the  second  period  after 
Moses,  and  in  the  earlier  portion  of  the  third — that  is  to 
say,  as  the  kingdoms  were  approaching  their  downfall  as 
well  as  in  and  after  the  Babylonish  exile — we  find  what 
may  be  called  a  fifth  Pentateuch,  completing  the  inspired 
writings  of  the  Old  Testament,  viz. :  the  four  books  of  the 
major  prophets,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel  and  Daniel,  to- 
gether with  the  collection  of  the  minor  prophets,  which, 
on  account  of  the  smallness  of  the  individual  books,  may 
be  reckoned  one,  as  was  usual,  in  fact,  in  all  the  early  cata- 
logues or  lists  of  books  of  Scripture. 

The  history  of  the  New  Testament  may  be  divided  into 
two  principal  portions  or  periods,  in  which  we  find  a  like 
repetition  as  before  of  the  two  successive  methods  of  divine 
revelation.  Fii-st,  the  life  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  during 
which  the  word  of  God  was  made  known  orally  and  by 
his  own  manifestation  of  himself  in  the  person  of  his  only- 
begotten  Son.  Secondly,  the  history  of  the  apostles  and 
of  the  Church  which  they  founded,  from  the  time  of  our 
Lord's  ascension,  when  divine  revelation  was  continued  by 
means  of  inspired  writings.  The  New  Testament  completes 
itself  in  what  may  be  called  two  Pentateuchs;   the  first 


106  PBEPABINQ   TO   TEACH. 

group  covers  the  history  and  embraces  the  four  Gospels  and 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles;  the  second  group  includes  the 
didactic  or  prophetic  writings  of  five  apostles,  viz. :  Paul, 
James,  Peter,  John  and  Jude. 

From  the  Creation  to  the  Flood. 

In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth 
in  six  days.  The  work  of  the  first  day  was  light;  of  the 
second,  the  firmament ;  of  the  third,  the  dry  land  with  its 
products ;  of  the  fourth,  the  sun,  moon  and  stars ;  of  the 
fifth,  fishes  and  birds ;  of  the  sixth,  land  animals  and  man, 
who  was  created  in  the  image  of  God.  All  was  made  very 
good ;  and  on  the  seventh  day  God  rested  from  his  work 
and  instituted  the  Sabbath  in  commemoration  of  this  fact. 

Man  was  placed  in  the  garden  of  Eden  and  forbidden  to 
eat  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  upon  pain 
of  death.  The  woman,  formed  to  be  his  helper,  was  deceived 
by  the  serpent  and  ate  of  the  forbidden  fruit ;  she  gave  also 
unto  her  husband  with  her,  and  he  did  eat.  They  were  in 
consequence  sentenced  to  return  to  the  ground  from  which 
they  were  taken,  and  were  driven  forth  from  the  garden  lest 
they  should  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  and  live  for  ever.  And 
a  curse  was  pronounced  upon  the  tempter  which  involved  a 
promise  to  the  fallen  race  of  man :  "  I  will  put  enmity 
between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and 
her  seed  ;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his 
heel."  Gen.  iii.  15.  This  predicted  struggle  began  in  the 
family  of  Adam  when  Cain,  his  first-born,  "  who  was  of 
that  wicked  one"  (John  iii.  12),  slew  his  brother  Abel, 
because  Abel's  offering  of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock  was 
accepted  and  Cain's  offering  of  the  first  fruits  of  the  ground 
was  not.  It  came  to  its  climax  when  Christ,  the  seed  of  the 
woman,  by  way  of  eminence,  conquered  Satan  by  his  death. 
It  shall  be  ended  when  Satan  shall  have  been  bruised  under 
the  feet  of  all  of  Christ's  people.  Rom.  xvi.  20. 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  107 

Cain  was  driven  forth  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  a 
fugitive  for  his  crime.  Among  his  descendants  we  find 
criminal  excesses  and  worldly  culture — the  first  city,  repre- 
sentative of  secular  power  (Gen.  iv.  17),  the  polygamy  of 
Lamech  (ver.  19),  and  his  bloodthirsty  threats  of  vengeance 
(vs.  23,  24),  tents  and  cattle,  musical  instruments  and  work- 
ing brass  and  iron.  vs.  20-22.  Seth,  who  was  appointed 
instead  of  Abel,  was  the  head  of  a  pious  race.  In  the  days 
of  his  son  Enos  men  began  to  call  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  walked  with  God, 
and  was  not,  for  God  took  him.  Lamech  piously  looked  for 
a  blessing  in  his  son  Noah.  v.  29.  Noah,  the  tenth  from 
Adam,  was  a  just  man,  perfect  in  his  generations,  and  he 
walked  with  God.  vi.  9. 

But  the  sons  of  God,  or  the  pious  race,  intermarried  with 
the  daughters  of  men,  the  ungodly  descendants  of  Cain  ; 
and  wickedness  so  increased  that  God  at  length,  in  the  600th 
year  of  Noah,  and  according  to  the  common  computation 
1656  years  after  the  creation  of  man,  destroyed  the  world 
by  a  flood.  Only  Noah  and  his  family  were  saved  in  an 
ark  which  he  had  been  directed  to  build,  and  into  which  he 
took  some  of  all  kinds  of  beasts  and  fowl  and  creeping 
things.  The  Avaters  prevailed  for  five  months,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  the  ark  rested  on  the  mountains  of  Ararat. 
At  the  end  of  one  year  and  ten  days  the  waters  had  disap- 
peared and  the  ground  was  dried. 

From  the  Flood  to  the  Call  of  Abraham. 

After  this  violent  interruption  the  history  again  proceeds 
with  Noah,  the  second  head  of  the  human  race,  in  whose 
line  a  fresh  experimept  is  instituted,  with  many  points  of 
resemblance  to  the  preceding.  As  there  had  been  a  cove- 
nant with  Adam,  so  there  is  one  with  Noah  pledging  that 
all  flesh  should  never  again  be  destroyed  by  a  flood,  ix,  11. 
The  blessing  is  renewed,  Be  fruitful  and  multiply,  and  re 


108  PBEPABINQ   TO  TEACH. 

plenish  the  earth,  and  dominion  is  again  granted  over  the 
creatures,  ix.  12.  Mention  is  made  as  before  of  the  offer- 
ing of  sacrifice ;  and  that  of  Noah  as  he  came  out  of  the  ark 
is  accepted,  as  Abel's  had  been.  viii.  20.  The  prohibition 
of  murder  plainly  looks  back  to  the  crime  of  Cain.  ix.  6. 
Noah  transgressed  also  (ix.  21),  as  Adam  had  done,  and 
his  son  Ham  is  guilty  of  an  offence  which  severs  him  from 
the  promise  and  leads  to  a  fresh  limitation  of  it  to  the  line 
of  Shem,  whose  God  the  Lord  would  be  and  in  whose  tents 
he  would  dwell,  ix.  26,  27.  The  progress  of  mankind  in 
this  period,  as  in  the  preceding,  was  once  more  away  from 
God.  As  that  had  ended  with  the  segregation  of  Noah 
and  his  three  sons,  so  this  with  the  call  of  Abraham,  one 
of  Terah's  three  sons  and  the  tenth  in  descent  from  Shem,  to 
found  a  new  race  which  might  be  guarded  from  surround- 
ing contamination,  and  amongst  whom  the  way  might  be 
prepared  for  the  advent  of  the  great  Redeemer.  The  rest 
of  mankind  were  not  in  this  instance  destroyed,  as  by  the 
flood,  but  temporarily  passed  by,  with  a  view,  however,  to 
their  future  reception  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  Hence 
the  origin  of  the  various  nations  of  the  world  is  here  re- 
corded (ch.  X.)  as  springing  from  the  three  sons  of  Noah, 
Shem,  Ham  and  Japheth,  of  whom  the  whole  earth  was 
overspread,  ix.  19.  This  was  done  with  a  double  design : 
first,  that  of  gradually  eliminating  the  divergent  branches, 
in  order  afterward  to  pursue  uninterruptedly  the  line  of 
the  promise  (xi.  10-26) ;  and,  secondly,  that  of  declaring 
their  affiliation  with  the  chosen  seed,  to  whom  by  no  right 
of  their  own,  but  by  God's  special  favor,  the  covenant  of  his 
grace  was  temporarily,  and  yet  only  temporarily,  restricted. 
Mention  is  also  made  of  the  rise  of  the  great  empires  of 
Babylon  and  Assyria  (x.  10,  11),  which,  aspiring  to  univer- 
sal dominion,  were  doomed  to  fall  with  all  their  successors 
before  that  empire  which  alone  shall  ever  be  truly  univer- 
sal. Dan.  ii.  44.     The  confusion  of  tongues  at  Babel  in  the 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  109 

days  of  Peleg  (x.  25),  the  fifth  from  Sheni  (xi.  16),  is  a 
part  of  the  process  of  dispersion  and  separation  which  be- 
longs to  the  temporary  rejection  of  the  Gentiles.  The 
removal  of  this  restriction  was  symbolized  at  the  beginning 
of  the  new  dispensation  by  the  gift  of  tongues  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  when  men  from  many  lands  were  brought 
together  to  hear  the  gospel  and  the  variety  of  their  lan- 
guages offered  no  obstruction. 

This  period,  according  to  the  common  computation,  covers 
292  years. 

From  the  Call  of  Abraham  to  the  Exodus. 

Abram,  afterward  named  Abraham  (Gen.  xvii.  5),  chosen 
to  be  the  progenitor  of  the  peculiar  people  of  God,  w^as 
severed  from  the  idolatry  of  his  father's  house  (Josh.  xxiv. 
2)  and  his  faith  subjected  to  the  severest  tests.  He  was 
bidden  to  leave  his  country  and  his  kindred  and  go  into  a 
land  that  God  would  show  him  (Gen.  xii.  1),  which  he  did 
in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  his  age,  accompanied  by  Sarai, 
afterward  named  Sarah,  his  wife,  and  Lot,  his  brother's  son. 
The  promise  was  given  him,  and  several  times  repeated,  of 
the  possession  of  Canaan,  of  a  numerous  seed,  and  that  all 
nations  should  be  blessed  in  him.  But  the  land  was  then 
occupied  by  Canaanites;  and  though  Abraham  sojourned 
unmolested  and  erected  altars  at  various  points,  as  Shechem 
(xii.  6,  7),  Bethel  (ver.  8)  and  Hebron  (xiii.  18) ;  and  digged 
wells,  as  at  Beersheba  (xxi.  30,  31) ;  and  chastised  the  in- 
vaders w^ho  had  carried  off  Lot  (xiv.  13) ;  and  received  a 
blessing,  as  well  as  the  gift  of  bread  and  wine,  from  Melchiz- 
edek,  king  of  Salem  and  priest  of  the  most  high  God, 
whose  sacred  character  he  recognized  by  paying  him  tithes 
of  his  booty  (vs.  19,  20) ;  and  Lot,  who  had  chosen  the  val- 
ley of  Jordan  as  his  own  (xiii.  10,  11),  abandoned  it  after 
the  destruction  of  Sodom  (xix.  30)  ;  yet  he  never  owned  a 
foot  of  land  (Acts  vii.  5)  except  the  burying-place  which 

10 


110  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

he  purchased  from  the  sons  of  Heth  for  himself  and  Sarah, 
xxiii.  13,  if. 

Though  he  had  the  promise  of  posterity,  he  was  long  kept 
waiting  for  its  accomplishment.  He  was  twice  in  danger 
of  losing  his  wife  (xii.  11,  ff. ;  xx.  2,  ff.  )  ;  the  steward  of 
his  house  w^as  looked  upon  as  his  future  heir  (xv.  2,  3) ; 
Ishmael  was  born  to  him  -of  Hagar,  but  this  was  not  the 
promised  seed  (xvii.  18,  19) ;  at  length,  after  Isaac  had 
been  born,  in  his  one  hundredth  year  (xxi.  5),  he  was  directed 
to  offer  him  up  in  sacrifice  (ch.  xxii.),  but  at  the  critical 
moment  the  Lord  interfered,  and  substituted  a  ram  for 
Isaac,  approved  Abraham's  faith  and  spared  him  further 
trials. 

Kebekah  was  obtained  from  the  land  of  his  kindred  as  a 
Avife  for  Isaac.  Her  elder  son,  Esau,  was  excluded  from  the 
line  of  the  covenant  and  the  promise  restricted  to  Jacob,  who 
fled  from  his  brother's  displeasure  to  Padan-aram,  where 
he  served  Laban  twenty  years  and  married  his  daughters 
Leah  and  Rachel,  by  whom  he  had  twelve  sons.  After  Ja- 
cob's return  to  Canaan  his  favorite  son  Joseph  was  sold  into 
Egypt,  and  subsequently  raised  to  be  chief  in  authority,  next 
to  Pharaoh.  This  prepared  the  way  for  the  removal  of 
Jacob,  also  called  Israel  (xxxii.  28),  with  his  family,  sev- 
enty in  all  (xlvi.  27),  into  Egypt,  215  years  after  Abra- 
ham had  entered  Canaan.  Here  they  were  located  in  the 
fertile  district  of  Goshen,  that  they  might  be  converted  from 
a  nomadic  life  into  one  of  settled  habitation  and  developed 
into  a  numerous  people  under  the  shelter  of  the  most  famous 
empire  then  existing  in  the  world,  and  in  which  the  science 
of  government,  the  useful  arts  and  all  that  pertains  to  re- 
finement and  civilization  had  been  carried  to  the  highest 
measure  of  perfection  then  attained. 

As  the  predicted  time  of  their  return  out  of  Egypt  drew 
nigh  (xv.  13-16)  providential  measures  were  taken  to  effect 
it.     The  multiplication  of  Israel  exciting  jealous  apprehen- 


BIBLE  IT  [STORY,  111 

eions  (Ex,  i.  10),  they  were  subjected  to  hard  bondage  and 
an  ordinance  passed  that  tlieir  male  children  should  be  put 
to  death  as  soon  as  born.  In  these  straits  a  deliverer  was 
born  in  the  person  of  IMoses,  who  was  hid  by  his  parents  for 
three  months  and  then  exposed  on  the  brink  of  the  river, 
where  he  was  taken  charge  of  by  Pharaoh's  daughter,  who 
had  him  trained  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians.  Acts 
vii.  22.  When  forty  years  old,  he  was  obliged  to  flee  into 
Midian,  and  there  familiarized  with  the  desert  for  forty  years. 
God  then  appeared  to  him  in  the  burning  bush,  and  sent  hii», 
with  his  brother  Aaron,  to  demand  of  Pharaoh  that  he  should 
let  the  Lord's  people  go.  Upon  his  refusal  ten  successive 
plagues  were  sent — water  changed  to  blood,  frogs,  lice,  swarms 
of  flies,  murrain,  boils,  hail,  locusts,  darkness,  the  slaying 
of  the  first-born.  The  passover  was  instituted,  and  Israel 
led  forth  600,000  men,  besides  children  and  a  mixed  multi- 
tude (Ex.  xii.  37,  38),  precisely  430  years  after  the  entry 
into  Egypt,  xii.  40,  41.  Pharaoh  pursued  them  with  his 
army,  but  a  passage  was  miraculously  opened  for  Israel 
through  the  Red  Sea,  and  their  pursuers  were  drowned. 


LESSOJf  II. 

FROM  THE  EXODUS  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  DAVID. 

The  chosen  seed  were  now  suificiently  multiplied ;  they 
were  next  to  be  organized  as  the  people  of  God  and  estab- 
lished in  Canaan.  This  was  accomplished  in  four  succes- 
sive steps  :  1.  By  the  covenant  at  Sinai  and  the  legislation 
of  Moses  they  were  constituted  the  people  of  God  and 
placed  under  his  laws.  2.  They  were  put  in  possession  of 
the  promised  land  by  Joshua.  -3.  They  were  made  to  feel 
their  lack  of  unity  and  of  a  vigorous  government  in  the 
time  of  the  Judges.     4.  Their  civil  organization  was  com- 


112  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

pleted  and  the  conquest  of  the  land  perfected  under  Sam- 
uel, Saul  and  David. 

The  people,  brought  safely  through  the  Ked  Sea  and  fed 
on  manna,  were  first  led  to  Sinai,  where  the  ten  command- 
ments were  proclaimed  by  God  himself  amidst  awful  pomp 
(Ex.  XX.),  and  the  covenant  was  formally  ratified  between 
him  and  the  people  through  their  representatives,  Moses, 
Aaron  and  his  sons  and  seventy  elders  of  Israel,  xxiv.  1-11. 
Moses  then  went  into  the  mount  for  forty  days  and  nights  to 
receive  the  law  of  God.  The  people,  impatient  at  his  long 
delay,  made  the  golden  calf  and  worshiped  it,  whereupon 
the  Lord  would  have  destroyed  them  but  for  Moses'  urgent 
intercession,  ch.  xxxii.  They  remained  at  Sinai  one  year 
(Num.  X.  11,  12),  during  which  the  tabernacle  was  built,  the 
ritual  was  instituted  and  Aaron  and  his  sons  were  ordained  to 
the  priesthood.  Kemoving  thence,  they  were  led  by  a  pillar 
of  cloud  and  fire.  Transgression  was  severely  punished  in 
repeated  instances,  as  the  fire  at  Taberah  (xi.  1),  the  plague 
following  the  sending  of  the  quails  (xi.  33)  and  Miriam's 
leprosy  for  contending  with  Moses,  xii.  10.  On  their  arri- 
val at  Kadesh,  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  they  sent  twelve 
spies  to  view  the  land,  at  whose  report  the  people  refused  to 
proceed,  threatening  to  stone  Moses  and  to  go  back  again 
to  Egypt.  They  were  in  consequence  condemned  to  wan- 
der forty  years  in  the  desert,  till  that  entire  generation  had 
perished,  with  the  sole  exception  of  Joshua  and  Caleb  (xiv. 
30),  who  had  brought  a  good  report  of  the  land. 

During  this  term  of  their  banishment  they  were  guilty 
of  gross  trangression  (Ezek.  xx.  13)  and  open  idolatry. 
Amos  V.  25,  26 ;  Acts  vii.  42,  43.  Korah  and  a  company 
of  250  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  rebelled  against  the  exclusive 
priesthood  of  Aaron,  claiming  an  equal  right  to  minister 
at  the  altar,  and  were  supported  in  their  rebellion  by  Da- 
than,  Abiram  and  others  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben ;  but  the 
earth  opened  and  swallowed  up  the  latter,  with  all  that  ap- 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  113 

pertained  to  them,  while  a  fire  blazed  forth  from  the  Lord 
which  burned  up  the  former  with  their  censers  in  their  hands, 
and  a  plague  broke  out  among  the  people,  destroying  upward 
of  fourteen  thousand  Num.  xvi.  The  divine  choice  of  Aaron 
was  shown  when  twelve  rods  were  laid  up  before  the  Lord, 
one  to  represent  each  tribe,  and  Aaron's  rod  budded  and 
brought  forth  almonds,  ch.  xrvii. 

In  the  first  month  of  the  fortieth  year  the  whole  congre- 
gation were  again  gathered  at  Kadesh.  xx.  1.  Here  Miriam 
died,  and  Moses  and  Aaron,  failing  to  honor  God  before  the 
rebellious  people  in  bringing  water  out  of  the  rock,  were 
prohibited  from  entering  the  promised  land.  ver.  12.  The 
king  of  Edom  refusing  to  sufier  Israel  to  pass  through  his 
land,  a  circuit  was  made  around  it,  requiring  them  to  retrace 
their  steps  from  the  southern  border  of  Canaan  to  the  shores 
of  the  eastern  arm  of  the  Red  Sea.  vs.  14,  ff'. 

Aaron  died  at  Mount  Hor.  xx.  28;  xxxiii.  38.  The 
murmurs  of  the  people,  who  were  discouraged  because  of 
the  way,  were  punished  by  fiery  serpents,  and  a  brazen 
serpent  erected  upon  a  pole  that  they  who  looked  upon  it 
might  be  healed,  xxi.  19.  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites,  and 
Og,  king  of  Bashan,  were  subdued  (xxi.  21,  ff".),  and  their 
territory,  which  lay  east  of  the  Jordan,  was  assigned  to  Reu- 
ben, Gad  and  half  the  tribe  of  Mauasseh  (xxxii.  33)  on 
condition  of  their  assisting  their  brethren  in  the  conquest 
of  the  remainder  of  the  land,  Balak,  king  of  Moab,  hired 
Balaam  the  soothsayer  to  come  from  Pethor  in  Mesopota- 
mia and  curse  Israel,  but  his  curse  was  changed  to  a  bless- 
ing ;  and  though  the  Moabites  and  Midiauites  through  his 
counsel  enticed  the  people  into  idolatry  and  crime  at  Baal- 
peor,  it  was  severely  avenged  by  a  battle  in  which  Balaam 
and  five  kings  of  Midian  were  slain,  xxxi.  8.  Israel  now 
encamped  in  the  plains  of  Moab.  Here  Moses  rehearsed  to 
them  the  whole  law  in  the  last  month  of  the  fortieth  year 
(Deut.  i.  13),  including  the  promise  (^Deut  xviii.  18),  "The 

10* 


114  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  prophet  from  the 
midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me."  Comp.  Acts 
iii.  22.  He  then  gave  a  charge  to  Joshua  as  his  successor 
(xxxi.  23),  delivered  the  book  of  the  law  to  the  Levites  to 
be  kept  in  the  side  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant  (vs.  24,  if.), 
pronounced  a  blessing  upon  the  several  tribes  (ch.  xxxiii.), 
and  went  up  the  mountain  of  Nebo  to  the  top  of  Pisgah, 
where  the  Lord  showed  him  all  the  promised  land,  and  he 
died  there,  one  hundred  and  twenty  years  old. 

2.  To  Joshua  was  committed  the  task  of  conducting 
Israel  into  Canaan,  subduing  the  land,  and  apportioning  it 
among  the  several  tribes.  He  first  sent  two  spies  t©  view 
Jericho,  where  they  were  protected  by  the  harlot  Rahab. 
The  people  were  then  led  through  the  Jordan  on  dry  land, 
and  twelve  stones  taken  from  its  bed  were  laid  up  at  Gilgal, 
their  first  encampment  in  Canaan,  in  commemoration  of  the 
miracle.  Here  the  covenant  with  God  was  renewed  by 
circumcision,  which  had  been  neglected  in  the  wilderness 
(Josh.  V.  5),  and  by  the  celebration  of  the  passover,  the 
manna,  thenceforth  ceasing,  as  no  longer  needed.  The  walls 
of  Jericho  were  miraculously  thrown  down,  and  the  place 
pronounced  accursed  ^  its  silver  and  gold  and  vessels  of 
brass  and  iron  were  devoted  unto  the  treasury  of  the  Lord, 
and  all  that  were  in  the  city  were  devoted  to  destruction, 
except  Rahab  and  those  who  were  in  her  house.  At  Ai 
the  people  were  repulsed  in  consequence  of  Achan's  tres- 
pass in  the  accursed  thing.  He  had  coveted  and  taken 
from  the  spoils  of  Jericho,  but  his  crime  was  detected  and 
punished,  whereupon  Ai  was  again  assaulted  and  taken. 
An  altar  was  then  erected  in  Mount  Ebal,  and  the  blessings 
and  curses  of  the  law  formally  pronounced  in  the  presence 
of  all  the  people.  The  inhabitants  of  Gibeah,  by  a  success- 
ful stratagem,  made  peace  with  Joshua.  A  combination 
formed  of  five  kings  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  country, 
headed  by  the  king  of  Jerusalem,  was  defeated,  Joshua 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  115 

bidding  the  sun  stand  still  and  prolong  the  day  that  he 
might  complete  the  victory.  A  similar  combination  in  the 
north  was  likewise  utterly  routed  at  the  waters  of  Merom. 
In  about  six  years  the  conquest  of  the  entire  land  was 
effected.  Josh.  xi.  18 ;  comp.  xiv.  7-10. 

The  territory  west  of  the  Jordan  was  then  divided  by 
lot  among  nine  tribes  and  a  half,  and  the  two  tribes  and 
a  half  which  had  a  portion  assigned  them  by  Moses  east 
of  the  Jordan  returned  to  their  inheritance.  Joshua  died 
one  hundred  and  ten  years  old,  and,  according  to  Josephus, 
twenty-five  years  after  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan,  having 
first  assembled  the  tribes  at  Shechem  and  solemnly  bound 
them  to  the  service  of  the  Lord. 

3.  The  people  were  now  organized  under  the  laws  given 
them  by  Moses,  and  put  in  possession  of  the  land  conquered 
by  Joshua.  But  their  civil  organization  had  not  yet  attained 
its  complete  and  final  form,  and  the  conquest  of  the  land 
was  not  thoroughly  perfected.  Much  was  left  to  be  done 
by  each  of  the  tribes  in  its  own  domain,  in  the  further  sub- 
jugation or  extermination  of  their  foes ;  and  this  in  their 
divided  state  it  was  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  accom- 
plish, particularly  as  in  their  repeated  relapses  from  God 
they  were  deprived  of  his  aid  and  given  over  to  the  power 
of  their  enemies.  In  their  times  of  distress,  however,  they 
repented,  and  God  raised  up  special  leaders  or  judges  for 
their  deliverance. 

They  were  thus  oppressed  eight  years  by  Chushan-rish- 
athaim,  king  of  Mesopotamia,  and  rescued  by  Othniel ;  then 
eighteen  years  by  Eglon,  king  of  Moab,  who  was  slain,  and 
Israel  delivered  by  Ehud ;  again,  twenty  years  by  Jabin, 
king  of  Hazor,  the  captain  of  whose  host,  Sisera,  was  de- 
feated by  Deborah  and  Barak,  and  slain  by  Jael,  the  wife 
of  Heber  the  Kenite ;  again,  seven  years  by  Midian,  whose 
immense  host  was  discomfited  by  Gideon  with  three  hun- 
dred men.     Gideon's  son,  Abimelech,  slew  his  brothers  and 


116  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

had  himself  made  king  of  Shechem,  but  was  himself  slain 
in  the  disturbauces  that  arose  at  the  end  of  his  brief  reign 
of  three  years.  The  children  of  Israel  east  of  the  Jordan 
were  oppressed  by  the  Ammonites  eighteen  years  (Judg. 
X.  8),  but  were  delivered  by  Jephthah  the  Gileadite,  who 
vowed  that  if  the  Lord  would  give  him  the  victory,  whatso- 
ever came  forth  from  the  doors  of  his  house  to  meet  him  on 
his  return  should  surely  be  the  Lord's,  and  he  would  offer 
it  up  for  a  burnt-offering.  As  he  came  back  victorious,  his 
daughter,  who  was  his  only  child,  met  him  with  timbrels 
and  dances,  and  he  did  with  her  according  to  his  vow.  The 
Philistines  in  the  west  oppressed  Israel  forty  years.  A  cham- 
pion was  raised  up  from  the  tribe  of  Dan  in  the  person  of 
Samson  to  begin  the  work  of  deliverance.  His  birth  was 
foretold  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  who  directed  that  he 
should  be  a  perpetual  Nazarite,  and  that  no  razor  should 
ever  come  upon  his  head.  Num.  vi.  5.  As  long  as  he  was 
faithful  to  the  sacred  obligation  thus  enjoined  God  endowed 
him  with  superhuman  strength,  which  he  employed  in  mo- 
lesting or  destroying  the  Philistines.  He  judged  Israel 
twenty  years.  Other  judges  whose  names  are  mentioned, 
but  of  whom  little  is  known,  are  Tola  (x.  1),  Jair  (x.  3), 
Ibzan  (xii.  10),  Elon  (xii.  11)  and  Abdon  (xii.  13),  mak- 
ing, with  Eli  (1  Sam.  iv.  18),  the  entire  number  of  judges  to 
be  twelve. 

The  terms  of  these  twelve  judges,  together  with  the  peri- 
ods of  oppression  and  rest  mentioned  in  the  book  of  Judges, 
amount  to  450  years,  as  stated  Acts  xiii.  20.  But  as  the 
entire  interval  from  the  exodus  to  the  building  of  Solomon's 
temple  was  but  480  years,  all  of  these  periods  cannot  have 
been  successive.  Different  judges  may  have  ruled  or  dif- 
ferent oppressors  may  have  held  sway  in  different  parts  of 
the  land  at  the  same  time.  The  opposite  phases  of  this 
period  are  pictured  in  the  turbulent  lawlessness  of  the  Dan- 
ite  band  (ch.  xviii.)  and  of  the  men  uf  Gibeah  (xix.  22),  on 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  117 

the  one  hand,  and  the  charming  piety  and  peaceful  domes- 
tic life  of  Naomi,  Ruth  and  Boaz,  the  ancestors  of  David, 
on  the  other. 

4.  The  times  of  the  judges  had  been  marked  by  three 
great  evils,  viz.,  declension  in  religion,  want  of  unity  among 
tiie  tribes  and  weakness  before  their  foes.  There  was  press- 
ing need  of  a  religious  reformation,  a  strong  central  gov- 
ernment and  victory  over  their  enemies.  To  accomplish 
these  ends  three  remarkable  men  were  raised  up,  Samuel, 
Saul  and  David.  Samuel,  the  son  of  Hannah  and  Elka- 
nah,  was  the  child  of  prayer  (1  Sam.  i.  27,  28),  and  was 
consecrated  from  his  childhood  to  minister  before  Eli,  the 
priest  of  the  sanctuary,  in  Shiloh  (ii.  11),  where  God  early 
revealed  himself  to  him.  ch.  iii.  The  Philistines  gained 
a  great  victory  over  Israel,  slew  the  degenerate  sons  of  Eli, 
Hophni  and  Phinehas,  and  captured  the  ark  of  God.  But 
their  idol  Dagon  fell  and  was  broken  before  it,  and  plagues 
were  sent  upon  their  cities,  so  that  at  the  end  of  seven 
months  they  were  forced  to  send  it  back  to  the  land  of 
Israel,  where  it  remained  in  obscurity  at  Kirjath-jearim 
until  the  reign  of  David.  Samuel  now  induced  the  people 
to  put  away  their  strange  gods  ;  and  gathering  them  to  Miz- 
peh  for  penitent  humiliation  before  the  Lord  and  return  to 
his  service,  he  there  discomfited  the  Philistines,  breaking 
their  power  completely  for  a  time.  vii.  13.  Samuel  was  not 
only  himself  a  distinguished  prophet  of  the  Lord,  but  the 
founder  of  a  company  of  prophets  (x.  5 ;  xix.  20)  or  com- 
munity of  inspired  men,  associated  under  his  superintend- 
ence to  oppose  the  prevailing  corruption ;  and  though  occa- 
sional messages  had  been  sent  by  men  of  God  before  (1  Sam. 
ii.  27 ;  iii.  1),  he  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  of  that 
continuous  line  of  prophets  which,  varying  greatly  in  num- 
bers from  time  to  time,  never  entirely  ceased  until  the  close 
of  the  Old  Testament  (Acts  iii.  24),  and  in  which  we  see 
the  preliminary  fulfillment  of  the  jiromise  made  through 


118  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

Moses.  Deut.  xviii.  15.  As  the  special  messenger  of  God 
he  also  assumed  the  right  both  to  supersede  the  degenerate 
priesthood  for  the  time,  offering  sacrifices  himself,  though 
not  one  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  and  to  exercise  the  highest 
civil  authority  by  acting  as  judge. 

His  sons  not  walking  in  his  ways,  the  elders  of  Israel  so- 
licited the  appointment  of  a  king.  1  Sam.  viii.  5.  Samuel 
rightly  saw  in  this  request  that  they  might  be  "  like  all  the 
nations"  a  want  of  confidence  in  the  Lord  who  was  their 
King.  X.  19  ;  xii.  12.  Although  it  was  the  divine  intention 
that  Israel  should  have  a  kingly  government,  and  express 
provision  had  been  made  for  it  in  the  law  of  Moses  (Deut. 
xvii.  14),  nevertheless,  in  the  form  in  wliich  the  request  was 
made  and  in  the  disposition  of  those  making  it,  it  was  a 
virtual  rejection  of  the  Lord  from  reigning  over  them. 
1  Sam.  viii.  7.  The  Lord  accedes  to  their  request,  but  suffers 
them  in  the  first  instance  to  experience  in  Saul  what  it  is  to 
have  a  king  without  him,  before  he  bestows  upon  them  in 
David  a  king  after  his  own  heart.  Saul  was  first  anointed 
privately  by  Samuel  (x.  1)  and  then  chosen  by  lot  at  Miz- 
peh.  X.  21.  His  assumption  of  royalty  was  signalized  by 
a  victory  over  the  Ammonites,  which  at  once  gained  him 
the  hearts  of  the  people.  In  his  second  year  Saul  renewed 
the  war  against  the  Philistines,  who  assembled  an  immense 
host.  The  men  of  Israel  were  scattering  from  Saul,  some 
hiding,  some  fleeing,  and  the  few  that  followed  him  were  trem- 
bling. As  Samuel  failed  to  reach  Gilgal  at  the  appointed 
time,  Saul  offered  the  sacrifice  himself,  and  for  his  presump- 
tion in  so  doing  was  rebuked  by  Samuel  and  threatened 
with  the  forfeiture  of  his  kingdom.  Saul's  men  were  now 
reduced  to  six  hundred.  His  son,  Jonathan,  and  his  armor- 
bearer,  adventuring  upon  the  garrison  of  the  Philistines 
alone,  created  a  panic,  which  finally  grew  into  an  utter  rout. 
Saul  was  likewise  victorious  over  Moab,  Ammon,  Edom  and 
other  foes,  and  was  sent  against  the  Araalekites  with  the 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  119 

charge  that  he  should  utterly  destroy  them.  But  he  spared 
their  king  and  the  chief  of  the  spoil,  for  which  fresh  act 
of  disobedience  Samuel  plainly  told  him  that  the  kingdom 
should  be  rent  from  him  and  given  to  another. 

Samuel  accordingly  anointed  David,  the  youngest  son  of 
Jesse  the  Bethlehem ite,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon 
David  and  departed  from  Saul,  and  an  evil  spirit  from  the 
Lord  troubled  him.  David,  being  a  skillful  player  on  the 
harp,  was  sent  for  to  relieve  his  gloom,  but  his  slaying  Goliath 
and  the  popular  rejoicing  over  that  event  awakened  Saul's 
jealousy,  so  that  he  sought  his  life.  He  threw  his  javelin 
at  him  to  kill  him  ;  he  gave  him  a  position  in  the  army,  hop- 
ing that  he  might  fall  in  battle,  but  this  only  gave  David  an 
opportunity  to  distinguish  himself  still  more.  Saul  married 
his  daughter  to  him  that  he  might  more  easily  ensnare  him  ; 
he  sent  assassins  to  his  house  to  kill  him  ;  he  massacred  the 
priests  because  one  of  their  number  had  furnished  him  sup- 
plies ;  he  pursued  him  with  an  armed  force  into  the  wilder- 
ness and  mountain  fastnesses,  where  David  was  repeatedly  in 
imminent  danger  of  being  captured,  but  escaped  by  provi- 
dential interposition.  Twice  he  had  Saul  in  his  power  and 
magnanimously  spared  his  life,  but  the  softening  effect  upon 
the  king  was  only  temporary.  At  length  David  was  obliged 
to  flee  to  the  Philistines  and  put  himself  under  the  protection 
of  Achish,  king  of  Gath,  where  he  was  when  Saul  perished 
with  his  three  sons  in  the  disastrous  battle  with  the  Philis- 
tines at  Mount  Gilboa. 

David  was  now  made  king  over  Judah  in  Hebron,  where 
he  reigned  seven  years  and  six  months.  The  remaining 
tribes  attached  themselves  to  Ishbosbeth,  the  son  of  Saul, 
who  was  king  in  Mahanaim,  and  reigned  there  two  years. 
After  his  murder  all  the  tribes  submitted  to  David,  who 
captured  Jerusalem  fioni  the  Jebusites  and  established  hia 
capital  there,  and  had  tlie  ark  of  the  Lord  brought  thither 
from  Kirjath-jearim  with  great  pomp.     It  was  his  purpose 


120  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

to  have  built  a  temple,  but  this  was  reserved  for  his  son, 
Solomon.  He,  however,  gathered  abundant  materials  and 
resources  for  the  work  in  his  numerous  wars,  in  which  he 
was  everywhere  successful  against  foreign  foes.  He  also 
prepared  its  plan  (1  Chron.  xxviii.  11, 12)  and  designated  its 
site  (1  Chron.  xxii.  1),  which  he  purchased  from  Araunah  the 
Jebusite,  and  where  he  offered  an  accepted  sacrifice  in  time 
of  pestilence.  His  care  for  the  sanctuary  was  further 
shown  by  his  division  of  the  priests  into  regular  courses 
(1  Chron.  xxiv.  3,  flf.),  by  his  arrangements  for  musical  per- 
formance (1  Chron.  xxv.),  and  by  his  composition  of  those 
Psalms  which  earned  him  the  name  of  the  "  sweet  Psalmist 
of  Israel."  2  Sam.  xxiii.  1. 

The  great  stain  upon  David's  life  is  the  affair  of  Bath- 
sheba,  whom  he  took  for  his  own  wife,  having  procured  the 
death  of  her  husband,  Uriah,  in  battle.  2  Sam.  xi.  14,  15. 
From  this  time  he  was  visited  by  the  most  serious  domestic 
calamities — the  death  of  his  infant  child  (xii.  16,  ff.),  the 
disgrace  of  his  daughter  Tamar  (xiii.  19),  the  murder  of  his 
son  Amnon  by  Absalom  (xiii.  28,  29),  and  the  rebellion  of 
Absalom  (xv.  10),  during  which  he  was  forced  to  flee  from 
Jerusalem  and  seek  refuge  beyond  Jordan.  In  the  battle 
that  ensued  Absalom  was  slain ;  but  a  quarrel  arising  be- 
tween Judah  and  the  other  tribes  respecting  the  restoration 
of  the  king  to  his  capital,  a  fresh  revolt  followed  under 
Sheba,  son  of  Bichri,  which  was  speedily  quelled  and  Sheba 
slain.  In  his  later  years  his  son  Adonijah  sought  to  seize 
upon  the  kingdom  (1  Kings  i.  5,  ff.),  but  by  David's  direc- 
tion Solomon  Was  anointed  king  and  established  upon  his 
throne. 

David  died  in  the  fortieth  year  of  his  reign  (1  Kings 
ii.  11),  leaving  the  kingdom  at  the  summit  of  its  prosperity 
and  power. 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  121 


LESSOM  III. 


FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  DAVID  TO  THE  BIETH  OF 
CHEIST. 

The  reign  of  Solomon  was  one  of  peaceful  splendor,  and 
contrasts  strongly  with  the  numerous  wars  of  his  father. 
It  presents  a  type  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  its  extensive 
sway  and  prosperous  abundance  (Ps.  Ixxii.),  as  the  reign  of 
David  does  of  its  victories  and  of  its  triumphing  over  all 
opposition.  Ps.  ii.  When  offered  by  the  Lord  his  choice 
of  blessings,  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  Solomon  chose 
an  understanding  heart ;  and  the  Lord  gave  him  the  wis- 
dom for  which  he  asked,  and  added  to  it  riches  and  honor. 
His  most  noted  enterprise  was  the  building  of  the  temple, 
which  was  begun  in  his  fourth  year,  and  finished  in  seven 
years.  At  its  dedication,  which  was  celebrated  with  much 
pomp,  the  cloud  of  the  divine  glory  filled  the  house  so  that 
the  priests  could  not  stand  to  minister  because  of  it.  He 
also  built  a  palace  for  himself,  which  he  was  thirteen  years 
in  erecting,  and  numerous  other  structures,  upon  a  scale  of 
lavish  magnificence.  1  Kings  vii.  2,  ff. ;  ix.  17,  ff.  This  vast 
expenditure  was  provided  for  in  part  by  the  treasures  accu- 
mulated by  his  father  and  by  his  lucrative  foreign  trade  (ix. 
26 ;  X.  21-27),  but  it  likewise  imposed  oppressive  burdens 
upon  the  people.  He  also  contracted  numerous  marriages 
with  foreign  princesses  (xi.  1),  who  led  him  into  idolatry 
in  his  later  years. 

After  a  reign  of  forty  years,  Solomon  was  succeeded  by 
his  son  Pehoboam,  whose  insane  refusal  to  lighten  the  exac- 
tions imposed  by  his  father  led  to  the  permanent  division  of 
the  kingdom.  Ten  tribes  rebelled  against  the  house  of 
David  and  chose  Jeroboam  king,  so  that  from  this  time  for- 
ward there  were  the  two  rival,  and  commonly  hostile,  king- 
doms of  Israel  and  Judah. 

The  kingdom  of  Israel,  or  of  the  ten  tribes,  continued 
H 


122  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

two  hundred  and  fifty-four  years  from  the  schism  of  Jero- 
boam, B.  C.  975,  to  its  overthrow  by  Shalmaneser,  king  of 
Assyria,  B.  C.  721.  Twenty  persons  in  all  sat  upon  the 
throne,  or  were  aspirants  to  it. 

1.  Jeroboam  I.,  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  reigned  twenty- 
tv/o  years ;  2.  his  son,  Nadab,  two  years ;  3.  conspired 
against  by  Baasha,  twenty-four  years ;  4.  his  son,  Elah, 
two  years;  5.  conspired  against  by  Zimri,  seven  days; 
rival  aspirants,  6.  Tibni,  who  was  defeated,  and  7.  Orari, 
the  choice  of  the  army,  who  was  successful,  twelve  years ; 
8.  his  son,  Ahab,  twenty-two  years ;  9.  his  sons,  Ahaziah, 
two  years,  and  10.  Jehoram,  twelve  years;  11.  Jehu, 
anointed  by  divine  command,  twenty  years  ;  12.  his  son, 
Jehoahaz,  seventeen  years;  13.  his  son,  Joash,  sixteen  years; 
14.  his  son,  Jeroboam  II.,  forty-one  years;  15.  his  son, 
Zachariah,  six  months ;  16.  conspired  against  by  Shallura, 
one  month;  17.  conspired  against  by  Menahem,  ten  years; 
18.  his  son,  Pekahiah,  two  years;  19.  conspired  against  by 
Pekah,  twenty  years;  20.  conspired  against  by  Hoshea, 
nine  years.  There  seems  also  to  have  been  an  interregnum 
or  period  of  anarchy  after  Jeroboam  II.,  and  another  after 
Pekah.  Eight  kings  reached  the  throne  by  successful  con- 
spiracy and  slaying  their  predecessors.  The  crown  was  in 
but  two  instances  transmitted  from  father  to  son  beyond  a 
single  generation,  viz.,  by  Omri  to  the  second  generation, 
and  by  Jehu  to  the  fourth,  as  had  been  particularly  pre- 
dicted. 2  Kings  X.  30.  All  these  kings  were  wicked,  follow- 
ing as  they  did  in  the  track  of  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat, 
who  made  Israel  to  sin  by  establishing  the  worship  of  the 
golden  calves  at  Bethel  and  at  Dan  to  prevent  the  people 
from  going  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  and  so  coming  again 
under  the  dominion  of  the  house  of  David.  This  was  not 
an  open  renunciation  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  but  the 
calves  were  set  up  professedly  as  symbols  of  the  God  who 
had  brought  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  1  Kings  xii.  28. 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  123 

The  allusions  in  the  prophets  show  that  the  annual  feasts, 
new  moons,  Sabbaths,  legal  sacrifices  and  other  Mosaic  reg- 
ulations (Hos.  ii.  11)  remained  in  full  force;  only  the  time 
of  the  feast  of  tabernacles  was  changed  from  the  seventh 
to  the  eighth  month,  and  priests  were  ordained,  not  from  the 
tribe  of  Levi,  but  from  the  lowest  of  the  people,  vs.  31,  82. 

The  worst  of  all  the  kings  was  Ahab,  the  son  of  Oniri, 
the  builder  of  Samaria,  who  with  his  wife  Jezebel,  the 
daughter  of  the  king  of  the  Zidonians,  introduced  the 
open  and  avowed  worship  of  heathen  divinities,  Baal  and 
Ashtaroth,  put  to  death  the  prophets  of  the  Lord  and  per- 
petrated other  deeds  of  violence  and  oppression,  as  the 
murder  of  Naboth  in  order  that  they  might  seize  upon  his 
vineyard,  though  even  in  this  time  of  the  grossest  apos- 
tasy there  was  a  pious  Obadiah  in  the  very  palace  (1  Kings 
xviii.  3),  and  there  were  seven  thousand  who  had  not  bowed 
the  knee  unto  Baal.  xix.  18.  Elijah  was  sent  repeatedly 
to  confront  Ahab,  and  by  the  predicted  drought,  and  the 
miracle  at  Carmel  of  fire  from  heaven  consuming  the  sac- 
rifice, began  a  reaction.  Ahab  was  slain  in  battle  at 
Ramoth-gilead.  His  son  Jehoram  (2  Kings  iii.  2)  removed 
the  image  of  Baal ;  and  Baal-worship  was  entirely  extir- 
pated by  Jehu  (x.  18,  ff.),  though  the  worship  of  the  calves 
remained.  Elisha  succeeded  Elijah  after  his  translation  with 
a  like  ministry  of  power.  Communities  of  sons  or  pupils 
of  the  prophets  were  established  at  such  seats  of  idolatry 
as  Bethel,  Jericho  and  Gilgal.  The  prophets  Hosea,  Amos 
and  Jonah  were  raised  up  in  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  II., 
under  whom  the  ten  tribes  reached  their  highest  prosperity 
and  power,  but  they  were  unable  to  turn  back  the  tide  of 
corruption  or  to  effect  a  genuine  reformation,  and  the  king- 
dom hastened  to  its  downfall. 

Israel  had  been  repeatedly  and  sorely  pressed  by  the 
Syrians,  particularly  in  the  reigns  of  Ahab  (1  Kings,  ch. 
XX.),  Jehoram  (2  Kings  vi.  24,  ff.)  and  Jehoahaz.  2  Kings 


124  PREPARING   TO   TEACIL 

xiii.  3.  In  the  reign  of  Menahem  we  first  read  of  the  ad- 
vance of  the  Assyrians  under  Pul  (2  Kings  xv.  19) ;  in  the 
reign  of  Pekah,  Tiglath-pileser  carried  captive  the  northern 
portion  of  the  kingdom  and  all  that  lay  east  of  the  Jordan. 
2  Kings  XV.  29  ;  1  Chron.  v.  26.  Shalinaneser,  after  besieg- 
ing Samaria  three  years,  put  an  end  to  the  kingdom  entirely 
in  the  ninth  year  of  Hoshea,  and  the  people  were  carried 
into  Assyria ;  and  the  finishing  stroke  was  put  to  its  desola- 
tion by  the  subsequent  introduction  of  heathen  colonists  (2 
Kings  xvii.  24),  from  whom  the  Samaritans  of  a  later  pe- 
riod were  descended. 

The  kingdom  of  Judah  lasted  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  years  from  the  schism  to  its  overthrow  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, B.  C.  588.  The  number  of  monarchs  in  this  as  in 
the  other  kingdom  was  twenty,  viz. :  1.  Rehoboam,  who 
reigned  seventeen  years ;  2.  Abijah,  three  years ;  3.  Asa, 
forty-one  years ;  4.  Jehoshaphat,  twenty-five  years ;  5.  Jeho- 
ram,  eight  years  ;  6.  Ahaziah,  one  year ;  7.  Athaliah,  six 
years;  8.  Joash,  forty  years;  9.  Amaziah,  twenty-nine 
years;  10.  Azariah,  also  called  Uzziah,  fifty-two  years  ;  11. 
Jotham,  sixteen  years ;  12.  Ahaz,  sixteen  years  ;  13.  Heze- 
kiah,  twenty-nine  years  ;  14.  Manasseh,  fifty-five  years ;  15. 
Amon,  two  years ;  16.  Josiah,  thirty-one  years ;  17.  Jehoahaz, 
three  months;  18.  Jehoiakim,  eleven  years ;  19.  Jehoiachin, 
three  months  and  ten  days ;  20.  Zedekiah,  eleven  years. 

The  crown  descended  regularly  throughout  the  whole  line 
from  father  to  son  with  the  exception,  first,  of  the  usurpa- 
tion of  Queen  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab,  who  seized 
the  throne  upon  the  death  of  her  son  Ahaziah  and  sought  to 
destroy  all  the  blood  royal.  Joash  was  saved  from  the  mas- 
sacre, however,  and  after  being  concealed  for  six  years  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord  by  the  high  priest  Jehoiada  was  made 
king,  and  Athaliah  slain.  The  other  exception  is  that  of 
the  last  four  kings  ;  three — viz.,  Jehoahaz,  Jehoiakim  and 
Zedekiah — were    brothers,   the   sons   of  Josiah.      Of  the 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  125 

kings  of  Judah,  three  fell  victims  to  conspiracies  among 
their  own  subjects,  viz.,  Joash,  Amaziah  and  Amon ;  three 
died  in  captivity,  Jehoahaz  in  Egypt,  Jehoiakim  and  Zede- 
kiah  in  Babylon.  Ahaziah  was  slain  by  Jehu,  king  of 
Israel,  and  Josiah  fell  in  the  battle  of  Megiddo,  fighting 
against  Pharaoh-necho,  king  of  Egypt. 

In  point  of  character  the  kings  of  Judah  are  divided  into 
three  classes ;  first,  four  who  are  commended  as  having 
done  that  which  was  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  as  did 
David  their  father,  viz.,  Asa,  Jehoshaphat,  Hezekiah  and 
Josiah  ;  secondly,  four  who  did  that  which  was  right  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  yet  not  like  David  their  father,  viz., 
Joash,  Amaziah,  Uzziah  and  Jotham ;  thirdly,  all  the  rest 
did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  practicing  idolatry  and 
the  abominations  of  the  heathen.  Kemarkable  instances 
of  change  for  the  better  and  the  worse  are  afforded  by  the 
case  of  Manasseh,  who,  after  practicing  the  grossest  idolatry 
and  the  most  revolting  cruelty,  repented  in  captivity  and 
at  his  restoration  began  to  act  the  part  of  a  reformer ;  and 
by  that  of  Joash,  who  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord  while  Jehoiada,  the  high  priest,  lived,  but  after- 
ward fell  into  the  practice  of  idolatry.  In  point  of  politi- 
cal wisdom  and  prosperity,  the  best  reigns  were  not  uni- 
formly those  of  the  best  kings.  This  double  honor  be- 
longs, it  is  true,  to  Asa  and  his  son  Jehoshaphat,  but  the 
reign  of  the  pious  Hezekiah  was  marred  by  great  defects 
and  errors  of  a  worldly  nature,  and  in  this  respect  was 
greatly  inferior  to  those  of  his  grandfather  Jotham  and  his 
great-grandfather  Uzziah,  who  were  morally  far  below  him. 
The  reign  of  Ahaz  was  at  once  the  weakest  and  the  worst, 
if  we  except  the  four  with  which  the  history  concludes,  and 
during  which  the  power  was  really  exercised  by  foreign 
states. 

Apostasy  was  inherent  in  the  very  existence  of  the  king- 
dom of  Israel,  but  it  was  not  so  in  Judah.  -Though  idolatry 
11 » 


126  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

was  encouraged  in  allthe ungodly  reigns,  and  Ahaz(2  Kings 
xvi.  10,  ff.)  and  Manasseh  (2  Kings  xxi.4,  ff.)  especially  pro- 
faned the  temple  of  God  itself  by  setting  up  heathen  altars  or 
objects  of  worship  within  its  sacred  precincts,  yet  upon  every 
return  of  pious  princes  to  the  throne  a  reformation  was 
wrought  more  or  less  thorough  and  effective,  and  the  temple 
was  cleansed,  repaired  and  restored  to  its  legitimate  use. 
Thus  by  Asa  (2  Chron.  xiv.  8, 16),  Joash  (2  Chron.  xxiii.  17 ; 
xxiv.  4),  Hezekiah  (2  Chron.  xxix.  3)  and  Josiah  (2  Chron. 
xxxiv.  3,  8),  under  the  last  of  whom  mention  is  made  of 
finding  in  the  temple,  after  long  neglect,  "  the  book  of  the 
law"  (verse  15),  probably  the  identical  copy  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Moses  which  had  been  delivered  by  him  to  the 
Levites  for  safekeeping,  and  had  from  that  time  forward 
been  preserved  in  the.  sanctuary.  And  though  the  ser- 
vility of  the  priesthood  to  wicked  rulers  is  shown  in  the 
case  of  Urijah  (2  Kings  xiv.  16),  and  the  transgressions 
of  the  priests  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  14)  contributed  to  the  down- 
fall of  the  kingdom,  there  are  noble  instances  in  which 
their  power  for  good  was  shown,  as  in  Jehoiada  during  the 
usurpation  of  Athaliah  and  the  former  part  of  the  reign 
of  Joash  (2  Chron.  xxiii.  16 ;  xxiv.  2),  and  in  Azariah  and 
his  associates,  who  withstood  Uzziah  in  his  profane  in- 
trusion into  the  temple  to  burn  incense.  2  Chron  xxvi.  16,  ff. 
There  was  a  continuous  line  of  prophets,  also,  not  so  re 
markably  endowed  as  Elijah  and  Elisha  with  miraculous 
power,  for  which  there  was  not  so  imperative  a  call,  yet  ever 
appearing  at  important  crises  and  exerting  a  constant  in- 
fluence for  good,  as  Shemaiah  under  Rehoboam  (2  Chron  xii. 
5) ;  Azariah  under  Asa  (xiv.  1) ;  Jehu  (xix.  2),  Jahaziel  (xx. 
14)  andEliezer  (verse  37)  under  Jehoshaphat;  Isaiah  (Isa,  i. 
1)  under  Uzziah  and  his  successors.  Yet  their  messages  were 
frequently  neglected  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  9),  and  the  prophets 
themselves  were  sometimes  subjected  to  personal  ill-treat- 
ment, as  Hanani  was   imprisoned   by  Asa  (2  Chron.  xvi. 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  127 

iO)  ;  Zechariah  was  stoned  in  the  court  of  the  temple  (xxiv. 
20)  ;  Urijah  was  put  to  death  by  order  of  Jehoiakim  (Jer. 
xxvi.  20-24),  and  Jeremiah  was  beaten  and  put  in  the  stocks 
(Jer.  XX.  2),  thrust  into  a  filthy  dungeon  (Jer.  xxxviii.  6),  his 
life  repeatedly  threatened  (Jer.  xxvi.  8  ;  xxxvi.  26),  and  he 
was  in  prison  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by 
Nebuchadnezzar.  Jer.  xxxix.  14. 

Shishak,  king  of  Egypt,  invaded  Judah  in  the  reign  of 
Eehoboam,  and  plundered  the  temple  as  well  as  the  palace 
of  the  king.  1  Kings  xiv.  25.  Under  Asa,  Zerah  the 
Ethiopian,  with  his  immense  host,  was  defeated  (2  Chron. 
xiv.  9,  IF.),  as  was  the  formidable  combination  of  Moab,  Am- 
nion and  others,  under  Jehoshaphat.  2  Chron.  xx.  Up  to 
the  time  of  Jehoshaphat  there  had  been  constant  war  be- 
tween Judah  and  Israel.  1  Kings  xxii.  44.  His  ill-judged 
and  disastrous  alliance  with  Ahab  resulted  in  the  marriage 
of  his  son  Jehorara  with  Ahab's  daughter  (2  Chron.  xxi.  6) 
and  all  the  consequences  of  that  vicious  association.  Un- 
der Amaziah  we  again  find  a  state  of  hostility  existing  and 
Judah  worsted  before  Israel.  2  Kings  xiv.  12.  Asa  had 
hired  Benhadad,  king  of  Syria,  to  attack  Israel  in  the  in- 
terest of  Judah  (2  Chron.  xvi.  2),  and  Joash  had  purchased 
peace  from  Hazael  of  Syria  at  great  cost.  2  Kings  xii.  17, 
18.  But  in  the  reign  of  Ahaz,  Kezin  of  Syria  and  Pekah 
of  Israel  united  their  forces  against  Judah,  and  created  such 
alarm  (2  Kings  xvi.  5 ;  Isa.  vii.  2)  that,  in  spite  of  the  re- 
monstrances of  Isaiah,  the  weak-minded  monarch  besought 
the  aid  of  Tiglath-pileser,  king  of  Assyria.  That  ambitious 
power,  having  accomplished  the  overthrow  of  the  kingdom 
of  Israel,  directed  its  designs  against  Judah,  and  Sennach- 
erib came  up  with  an  immense  host  against  Hezekiah,  but 
was  miraculously  overthrown.  2. Kings  xix.  35.  Hezekiah, 
being  congratulated  by  the  king  of  Babylon  on  his  recovery 
from  sickness,  was  guilty  of  the  vanity  and  imprudence  of 
exhibiting  all  his  treasures,  whereupon  he  was  warned  by 


128  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

the  prophet  Isaiah  that  they  should  all  be  carried  captive 
to  Babylon.  2  Kings  xx.  12,  ff.  Palestine,  lying,  as  it  did, 
between  Babylon  and  Egypt,  was  alternately  the  prey  of  each 
of  these  great  powers,  who  were  contesting  the  empire  of  the 
world.  Josiah  was  slain  in  a  battle  with  Pharaoh-necho. 
2  Kings  xxiii.  29.  His  sou  Jehoahaz  was  carried  captive 
into  Egypt.  In  the  third  year  of  Jehoiakim,  Nebuchadnez- 
zar, king  of  Babylon,  marched  against  Jerusalem,  taking 
it  in  his  fourth  year,  and  carrying  away  many  captives, 
Daniel  among  the  rest.  Dan.  i.  1.  It  is  from  this  first  de- 
portation, B.  C.  606,  that  the  seventy  years  of  captivity  pre- 
dicted by  Jeremiah  (Jer.  xxv.  1,  11)  are  to  be  computed. 
The  second  deportation  put  an  end  to  the  reign  of  King  Jeho- 
iachin,  who  was  carried  into  captivity,  together  with  many  of 
the  better  portion  of  the  people.  2  Kings  xxiv.  12.  Jeru- 
salem was  destroyed  by  Nebuchadnezzar  in  the  eleventh 
year  of  Zedekiah,  and  the  mass  of  its  inhabitants  were  led 
away  into  exile.  The  wretched  remnant  that  stayed  be- 
hind in  the  land  of  Judah  were  placed  under  the  govern- 
ment of  Gedaliah,  and  after  his  murder  they  removed  into 
Egypt. 

Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,  the  conqueror  of  Babylon,  issued 
an  edict  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  B.  C.  536,  permitting 
the  Jewish  exiles  to  return  to  their  own  land.  Accordingly, 
42,000  of  them  returned  under  Zerubbabel,  a  prince  of  the 
house  of  David,  and  Joshua,  the  high  priest.  After  many 
hindrances,  they  completed  the  building  of  the  temple  in 
the  sixth  year  of  Darius,  B.  C.  516.  Jerusalem  still  lay  in 
ruins,  however,  and  its  walls  were  not  rebuilt  until  Ezra, 
and  after  him  Nehemiah,  came  up  with  fresh  colonists  in  the 
reign  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus.  The  incidents  recorded  in 
the  book  of  Esther  took  place  in  the  reign  of  Ahasuerus 
(Esth.  i.  1),  otherwise  known  as  Xerxes,  the  son  of  Darius. 

The  Persian  monarchy  was  overthrown  by  Alexander  the 
Great,  who  was  personally  favorable  to  the  Jews.     On  the 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  129 

partition  of  his  empire  Palestine  fell  under  the  control  of 
the  Ptolemies  of  Egypt,  who  granted  the  Jews  many  priv- 
ileges and  protected  them  in  the  exercise  of  their  religion. 
After  many  fluctuations,  it  was  finally  subjected  to  the  king 
of  Syria,  who  treated  the  Jews  with  great  severity.  An- 
tiochus  Epiphanes,  in  particular,  plundered  and  polluted  the 
temple,  and  endeavored  by  the  most  cruel  atrocities  to  com- 
pel the  Jews  to  adopt  heathen  customs  and  to  engage  in 
heathen  rites.  Mattathias  raised  the  standard  of  revolt, 
and  under  his  leadership  and  that  of  his  noble  sons  Judas 
Maccabeus,  Jonathan  and  Simon,  the  Jews  contended  suc- 
cessfully against  the  armies  of  Antiochus. 

After  cleansing  the  sanctuary  and  building  a  new  altar, 
the  first  sacrifice  was  offered  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  the 
ninth  month,  Chisleu,  B.  C.  165,  just  three  years  after  its  pro- 
fanation. In  memory  of  that  event  the  feast  of  dedication 
(John  X.  22)  was  observed  upon  the  anniversary  of  this  day 
and  the  seven  following  days. 

Simon  was  succeeded  by  his  son  John  Hyrcanus,  and  he 
by  his  son  Aristobulus,  B.  C.  106.  Dissensions  arising  among 
his  descendants  relative  to  the  succession,  the  Romans,  under 
Pompey,  entered  Jerusalem,  B.  C.  63,  and  established  Hyr- 
canus II.,  the  grandson  of  Aristobulus,  in  supreme  authority. 
Under  his  weak  government  the  Idumean  Antipater  rose  to 
power,  and  was  by  Julius  Caesar  advanced  to  the  dignity  of 
procurator  of  Judea,  B.  C.  47.  His  son  Herod  the  Great 
was  made  king  of  Judea  by  the  order  of  the  Roman  senate, 
B.  C.  40.     Under  his  reign  Christ  was  born. 


130  PBEPARINO   TO  TEACH. 

LESSOJY  IV. 
THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

The  prophet  Isaiah  announces  (xl.  3),  a  voice  crying  in 
the  wilderness,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord.  And 
Malachi  (iii.  1 ;  iv.  5)  predicts  the  mission  of  Elijah  the 
prophet  as  a  messenger  to  prepare  the  way  before  the  Lord 
at  his  coming.  This  forerunner  was  the  son  of  a  priest 
named  Zacharias,  who  lived  in  the  days  of  Herod  the  king, 
and  whose  wife's  name  was  Elizabeth.  As  he  was  burning 
incense  in  the  temple  an  angel  appeared  to  him  and  said, 
"  Thy  wife  Elizabeth  shall  bear  thee  a  son,  and  thou  shalt 
call  his  name  John ;  and  he  shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  many  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  he  turn  to 
the  Lord  their  God,  and  he  shall  go  before  him  in  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elias  (or  Elijah)  to  make  ready  a  people 
prepared  for  the  Lord." 

Six  months  later  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  to  Nazareth, 
to  a  virgin  espoused  to  a  man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the 
house  of  David ;  and  the  virgin's  name  was  Mary,  And 
the  angel  said  unto  her  "Fear  not,  Mary;  for  thou  hast 
found  favor  with  God.  And,  behold,  thou  shalt  conceive 
and  bring  forth  a  son,  and  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus.  He 
shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Highest  ; 
and  the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  him  the  throne  of  his 
father  David,  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end." 

A  decree  from  Csesar  Augustus  that  all  the  world  should 
be  taxed  required  Joseph  to  go  with  Mary  to  Bethlehem, 
his  ancestral  city.  There  Jesus  was  born,  and  was  laid 
in  a  manger,  because  there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the 
inn.  His  birth  was  announced  by  an  angel  to  the  shep- 
herds, when  suddenly  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host 
were  heard  praising  God  and  saying,  "  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good- will  tc  ward  men."     When 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  131 

presented  in  the  temple  in  his  infancy,  he  was  recognized  as 
the  Lord's  Christ  by  the  aged  Simeon  and  the  prophetess 
Anna.  Wise  men  from  the  east  also  came  seeking  him 
who  was  born  King  of  the  Jews.  Herod,  startled  by  their 
inquiry,  sent  them  to  Bethlehem,  the  predicted  place  of  the 
Saviour's  birth  (Mic.  v.  2),  charging  them  to  return  when 
they  had  found  the  infant  king,  and  tell  him,  that  he  might 
come  and  worship  him  also.  But  being  warned  of  God  in 
a  dream,  they  departed  into  their  own  country  another  way. 
Joseph  was  likewise  warned  to  take  the  young  child  and  his 
mother  and  flee  into  Egypt.  Herod,  finding  that  he  was 
mocked  of  the  wise  men,  sent  forth  and  slew  all  the  chil- 
dren in  Bethlehem  from  two  years  old  and  under.  After 
the  death  of  Herod  the  parents  of  Jesus  brought  him  to 
Nazareth.  When  he  was  twelve  years  old,  he  was  taken  to 
Jerusalem,  to  the  passover  ;  and  lingering  behind  when  his 
parents  returned,  he  was  found  in  the  temple,  sitting  in  the 
midst  of  the  doctors,  both  hearing  them  and  asking  them 
questions.  And  all  that  heard  him  were  astonished  at  his 
understanding  and  answers. 

In  the  fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  the  successor  of 
Augustus,  Pontius  Pilate  being  governor  of  Judea,  Herod 
Antipas,  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  being  tetrarch  of  Galilee, 
and  Annas  and  Caiaphas  being  the  high  priests,  John  the 
Baptist  came  preaching  in  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  Repent 
ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand.  Great  multi- 
tudes from  all  quarters  flocked  to  hear  him,  and  were  bap- 
tized of  him  in  Jordan,  confessing  their  sins.  Jesus  also, 
being  now  thirty  years  of  age,  came  from  Nazareth,  and  was 
baptized,  whereupon  the  heavens  opened  and  the  Spirit  of 
God  descended  upon  him  like  a  dove,  and  there  came 
a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in 
whom  I  am  well  pleased. 

He  was  then  led  up  by  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness, 
where  he  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  and  was  tempted 


132  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

of  the  devil.  Soon  after,  his  first  disciples  attached  them- 
selves to  him,  John  the  Baptist  pointing  him  out  as  the 
Lamb  of  God  to  two  of  his  own  disciples,  one  of  whom  was 
Andrew  and  the  other  probably  the  apostle  John  ;  they 
both  followed  Jesus.  Andrew  brought  his  brother  Simon 
Peter  to  Jesus,  and  the  next  day  Philip  and  Nathanael  were 
added.  On  the  day  following  he  wrought  his  first  miracle 
at  a  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  changing  water  into  wine. 
As  the  passover  was  at  hand,  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  and 
with  a  scourge  of  small  cords  drove  out  of  the  temple  those 
that  sold  oxen  and  sheep  and  doves,  and  the  changers  of 
money.  And  many  believed  in  his  name  when  they  saw 
the  miracles  that  he  did.  Nicodemus,  a  ruler  of  the  Jews, 
came  to  him  by  night,  convinced  that  he  was  a  teacher  sent 
from  God.  As  he  taught  in  Judea,  and  his  disciples  bap- 
tized, such  crowds  resorted  to  him  as  to  awaken  the  jeal- 
ousy of  John's  disciples.  But  John  replied,  I  am  not  the 
Christ,  but  one  sent  before  him  ;  he  must  increase,  but  I 
must  decrease. 

John  the  Baptist  being  seized  by  Herod  and  cast  into 
prison,  Jesus  departed  into  Galilee,  passing  through  Samaria 
on  the  way.  Here  he  conversed  with  the  Samaritan  woman 
as  he  sat  wearied  by  the  well  of  Jacob,  convincing  both  her 
and  many  who  lived  in  Sychar  that  he  was  indeed  the 
Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  Arriving  at  Cana  of 
Galilee,  he  healed  the  son  of  a  nobleman  who  lay  sick  at 
Capernaum.  In  the  synagogue  at  Nazareth  he  announced 
himself  as  the  Saviour  predicted  by  Isaiah,  but  was  so  vio- 
lently treated  that  he  fixed  his  residence  at  Capernaum.  He 
now  formally  called  Simon  Peter  and  Andrew,  James  and 
John,  who  were  engaged  in  their  occupation  as  fishermen,  to 
permanent  discipleship,  promising  them  that  they  should  be 
fishers  of  men,  and  by  a  miraculous  draught  of  fishes  as- 
suring them  of  the  abundant  success  which  would  be  di- 
vinely granted  to  them  in  their  new  vocation.   Matthew  was 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  133 

also  called  from  the  receipt  of  custom.  He  now  proceeded 
to  exhibit  himself  as  the  healer  of  all  human  disorders 
and  the  conqueror  of  Satan  in  Capernaum  and  throughout 
all  Galilee,  over  which  he  made  a  complete  tour,  teaching 
and  preaching,  curing  the  sick  and  casting  out  devils.  This 
first  year  of  his  ministry  was  one  of  unbounded  popularity, 
great  multitudes  even  from  remote  parts  attending  him 
wherever  he  went,  so  that  on  one  occasion  those  who  sought 
his  healing  could  only  reach  him  by  uncovering  the 
roof  where  he  was  and  letting  down  the  sick  man  in  his 
bed.  At  length,  to  escape  the  crowds,  he  was  forced  to  re- 
main outside  the  city  in  desert  places,  but  even  then  they 
came  to  him  from  every  quarter.  There  were,  however, 
some  who  cherished  thoughts  which  they  did  not  venture 
to  express,  as  though  he  were  guilty  of  blasphemy  in 
claiming  the  power  to  forgive  sins.  Matt.  ix.  3. 

At  the  next  passover  Jesus  was  again  in  Jerusalem,  and 
healed  the  impotent  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  bidding 
him  take  up  his  bed  and  walk,  though  it  was  the  Sabbath. 
This  profanation,  as  it  was  regarded,  of  this  sacred  day,  oc- 
curring in  the  very  centre  of  pharisaic  influence  and  au- 
thority, gave  occasion  for  an  outburst  of  hostility  against  a 
teacher  whose  extraordinary  popularity  excited  their  jeal- 
ousy, and  whose  spiritual  instructions  were  at  variance  with 
their  most  cherished  ideas.  Therefore  did  the  Jews  persecute 
Jesus  and  sought  to  slay  him.  The  opposition  which  had 
taken  such  a  malignant  form  at  the  capital  did  not  fail  to 
show  itself  likewise  in  Galilee,  and  opportunities  were 
soon  afforded  by  his  disciples  plucking  ears  of  corn  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  his  healing  a  man  with  a  withered  hand  in 
one  of  the  synagogues,  by  his  withering  exposures  of  their 
hypocrisy  and  wickedness  (Luke  xi.  39),  by  his  suffering  a 
sinner  to  wash  and  kiss  his  feet  and  anoint  them  (Luke  vii. 
38),  and  even  sitting  at  meat  with  publicans  and  sinners  in 

Matthew's  house  (Matt.  ix.  11),  so  that  the  Pharisees  took 
12 


134  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

counsel  with  the  Herodians  how  they  might  destroy  hirn. 
Mark  iii.  6.  They  applied  opprobrious  epithets  to  him 
(Matt.  xi.  19) ;  they  attributed  his  miracles  to  satauic  influ- 
ence (Matt.  xii.  24) ;  they  tempted  him  by  demanding  signs 
from  heaven  (Matt.  xii.  38) ;  they  pressed  him  with  ensnar- 
ing questions.  Luke  xi.  53,  54.  He  was  not,  however,  de- 
terred from  continuing  his  ministry.  He  organized  his  dis- 
ciples by  selecting  the  twelve  apostles,  and  in  the  sermon  on 
the  mount  made  explicit  announcement  of  the  laws  of  his 
kingdom.  He  went  twice  with  his  apostles  through  all  the 
towns  and  villages  of  Galilee  (Luke  viii.  1  ;  Matt.  ix.  35), 
and  then  clothed  the  apostles  with  miraculous  pow- 
ers, and  sent  them  forth  to  preach  that  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  was  at  hand.  Matt.  x.  5;  xi.  1.  His  miracles  were 
now  more  striking  than  before.  He  cured  a  man  who  had 
had  an  infirmity  thirty  and  eight  yeai-s  (John  v.  5),  and  a 
woman  sick  for  twelve  years,  whom  the  physicians  could  not 
heal  (Mark  v.  25,  26),  and  fierce  demoniacs  whom  no  man 
could  tame  (Mark  v.  2,  ff),  and  the  blind  and  the  dumb 
(Matt,  ix,  27,  ff.),  and  raised  from  the  dead  the  daughter  of 
Jairus  (Mark  v.  42)  and  the  son  of  the  widow  at  Nain 
(Luke  vii.  15),  and  stilled  the  storm  (Luke  viii.  24),  and 
walked  on  the  sea  (Matt.  xiv.  25),  and  fed  five  thousand 
men  with  five  loaves  and  two  fishes.  Matt.  xiv.  20. 

Our  Lord's  instructions  bear,  to  some  extent,  the  impress 
of  the  opposition  that  he  now  encounters.  In  healing  the 
centurion's  servant  at  Capernaum,  he  contrasts  the  faith  of 
this  Gentile,  with  the  want  of  it  in  Israel,  and  intimates  the 
calling  of  the  Gentiles  and  the  rejection  of  the  Jews. 
That  generation  refused  both  John  the  Baptist's  instructions 
and  his  own.  Matt.  xi.  16,  ff.  He  upbraids  Chorazin,  Beth- 
saida  and  Capernaum  because  they  repented  not.  He 
warjis  his  hearers  that  Nineveh  and  the  queen  of  the  South 
shall  condemn  them  in  the  judgment,  and  that  the  blood 
of  all  the  prophets  shall  be  required  of  that  generation. 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  135 

He  tells  his  disciples  of  the  persecutions  they  must  expect, 
but  bids  theai  not  to  fear  theui  who  can  only  kill  the  body. 
The  parables  of  the  barren  fig  tree  (Luke  xiii.  6),  the  sower 
(Matt.  xiii.  3,  tf.),  tlie  tares  (v.  24,  ff.)  and  the  net  (v.  47) 
show  the  different  reception  of  the  gospel  by  diiferent  classes 
of  hearers,  while  those  of  the  mustard  seed  (v.  31)  and 
the  leaven  (v.  33)  declare  the  certainty  of  its  progress  and 
ultimate  triumph.  That  his  popularity  with  the  masses  had 
uot  abated,  appears  from  the  freqient  references  to  the 
crowds  that  still  gathered  to  hear  him  (Matt.  v.  1 ;  xiii.  2 ; 
xiv.  13  ;  Luke  xii.  1),  and  the  disposition  of  the  people  to 
make  him  a  king  (John  vi.  15),  even  though  the  inhabitants 
of  Nazareth  were  offended  at  his  humble  origin.  Matt.  xiii. 
57.  His  true  followers  believed,  and  were  sure  that  he 
was  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  though  many  of  his 
disciples  went  back  and  walked  no  more  with  him.  John  vi. 
QQ),  ff.  The  murderous  disposition  of  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem 
was  such,  however,, that  he  did  not  go  up  to  the  uext  pass- 
over.  John  vi.  4 ;  vii.  1. 

The  next  year,  which  is  the  last  of  our  Lord's  ministry, 
extending  to  the  passover  at  which  he  suffered,  is  divided 
by  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  when  he  again  visited  Jerusa- 
lem. The  six  mouths  preceding  this  feast  were  spent  in. 
Galilee,  which  he  then  leaves,  and  does  not  again  revisit. 
During  this  time  he  gives  further  offence  to  the  Pharisees 
by  exposing  the  variance  betw^een  their  traditions  and  the 
law  of  God  (Matt.  xv.  3),  but  continues  his  teaching  and 
miracles,  healing  great  numbers  (Matt.  xv.  30),  feeding 
the  four  thousand  (v.  38),  and  especially  suggesting  again 
the  extension  of  the  gospel  beyond  the  limits  of  the  choseu 
people  by  curing  the  daughter  of  the  Syropheniciau  woman 
in  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  (Matt.  xv.  21,  ff.),  and  the 
ten  lepers,  of  whom  the  only  one  who  returned  to  give  thanks 
to  God  was  a  Samaritan.  Luke  xvii.  18.  The  disciples, 
through  Peter,  having  again  solemnly  professed  their  faith 


136  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

in  him  as  the  Christ  (Matt.  xvi.  16),  he  began  from  that 
time  forth  to  show  unto  them  how  that  he  must  go  to 
Jerusalem  and  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and  chief 
priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  be  raised  again  the 
third  day.  Matt.  xvi.  21.  He  had  made  enigmatical  al- 
lusions to  this  before,  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  ministry, 
speaking  to  the  Jews  at  his  first  passover  in  Jerusalem  of 
the  temple  of  his  body,  which  they  would  destroy  and  he 
would  raise  up  in  three  days  (John  ii.  19),  and  to  Nicode- 
mus  of  the  Son  of  man  being  lifted  up  like  the  serpent  in 
the  wilderness  (John  iii.  14),  and  in  the  synagogue  at  Ca- 
pernaum two  years  later  of  his  giving  his  flesh  for  the  life 
of  the  world.  John  vi.  51.  But  he  now  speaks  of  this  sub- 
ject plainly  and  more  than  once  (Matt.  xvii.  22,  23),  and 
tells  his  disciples  that  they  too  must  take  up  their  cross  and 
follow  after  him,  expectant  of  the  reward  which  they  shall 
have  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his 
Father.  Matt,  xvi,  24,  27.  He  further  coufirms  them  by 
the  vision  of  his  transfiguration  (Matt.  xvii.  1,  tf.),  and  of 
Moses  and  Elias  speaking  of  his  decease  which  he  should 
accomplish  at  Jerusalem  (Luke  ix.  31,)  teaching  them 
their  need  of  stronger  faith  by  healing  a  demoniac  whom 
they  could  not  cure  (Matt.  xvii.  19),  and  of  the  humility 
of  a  little  child  (Matt,  xviii.  3),  and  of  tender  (v.  14)  and 
forgiving  love  (v.  22),  and  rebuking  the  zeal  which  would 
forbid  others  casting  out  devils  in  his  name  (Luke  ix.  50), 
or  would  call  down  fire  from  heaven  upon  those  who  re- 
fused to  receive  him.  v.  55.  Then  sending  forth  seventy 
before  his  face  to  heal  and  preach  in  every  place  whither 
he  himself  would  come,  he  left  Galilee  finally,  and  went  up 
to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  John  vii.  2-10. 

He  remained  at  the  capital  or  in  its  vicinity  for  two 
months,  until  the  feast  of  dedication,  teaching  publicly  in  the 
temple  and  elsewhere,  and  performing  at  least  one  signal 
miracle — that  of  healino;  a  man  born  blind.  John  ix. 


BIBLE  HISTORY,  137 

His  foes  sought  on  various  occasions  to  take  him,  but  no 
man  laid  hands  on  him,  because  his  hour  was  not  yet  come. 
John  vii,  30;  viii.  20;  x.  39.  Officers  were  sent  expressly 
to  apprehend  him,  but  returned  without  him,  saying,  Never 
man  spake  like  this  man.  John  vii.  47.  They  brought 
cases  to  him  as  of  the  woman  taken  in  adultery,  tempting 
him  that  they  might  have  to  accuse  him.  viii.  6.  They 
charged  him  with  being  a  Samaritan,  having  a  devil  (vii. 
20;  viii.  48)  and  being  mad.  x.  20.  They  agreed  that  if 
any  man  did  confess  that  he  was  Christ  he  should  be  put 
out  of  the  synagogue,  ix.  22.  And  they  twice  actually 
took  up  stones  to  cast  at  him.  viii*.  59 ;  x.  31. 

There  was,  however,  a  division  among  them  about  him, 
for  some  said.  This  is  the  Christ  (vii.  41);  others.  How  can 
a  man  that  is  a  sinner  do  such  miracles?  ix.  16;  x.  19.  But 
none  of  the  rulers  or  Pharisees  believed  on  him  (vii.  48) ;  the 
only  friendly  voice  among  them  was  that  of  Nicodemus,  who 
claimed  that  he  should  not  be  condemned  unheard,  v.  51. 

After  the  feast  of  dedication  Jesus  retired  before  the  in- 
creasing hostility  of  his  enemies  beyond  the  Jordan  (John 
X.  40),  only  returning  as  far  as  Bethany  to  raise  Lazarus 
from  his  grave,  ch.  xi.  This  new  evidence  of  his  Messiahship 
so  exasperated  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  that  the  San- 
hedrim was  called  together,  and  a  formal  resolution  taken 
that  he  must  be  put  to  death,  xi.  53.  He  continued  to 
teach  beyond  the  Jordan,  reciting  among  others  the  para- 
bles of  the  great  supper  (Luke  xiv.  16,  if.),  the  prodigal 
son  (xv.  11,  tf.)  and  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus,  xvi.  19,  ff. 
When  the  Pharisees  represented  to  him  that  his  life  was  in 
peril  from  Herod,  he  replied  that  he  could  not  perish  out 
of  Jerusalem.  Luke  xiii.  3L  As  he  went  to  the  city  he 
told  his  disciples  once  more  of  what  should  befall  him 
there,  xviii.  31,  ff.  Nevertheless,  the  impression  that  he 
was  now  on  the  point  of  setting  up  his  kingdom  led  James 

and  John  to  ask  for  conspicuous  positions  (Mark  x.  35, 11'.), 

12* 


138  PREPARING  TO  TEACH. 

and  gave  occasion  to  the  parable  of  the  ten  pounds  (Luke 
xix.  11,  ff.),  and  after  he  had  reached  Bethany,  six  days 
before  the  passover  (John  xii.  1),  incited  the  multitude  to 
come  forth  to  meet  him  and  escort  him  into  the  city  in  jubi- 
lant procession,  xii.  13.     As  he  came  near  the  city  he  wept 
over  it  in  its  impenitence  and  coming  doom  (Luke  xix.  41), 
which  were  also  represented  in  the  miracle  wrought  upon 
the  barren  fig  tree  on  the  following  day  and  the  parables 
of  the  wicked  husbandmen  (Luke  xx.  9,  ff.),  the  marriage 
of  the  king's  son  (Matt.  xxii.  1,  ff.),  the  ten  virgins  (Matt. 
XXV.  1,  ff.)  and  the  five  talents  (v.  14,  ff.),  his  casting  out 
them  that  sold  and  bought  in  the  temple  (Luke  xix.  45), 
and  his  prediction  of  the  destruction  of  the  temple  and  of 
Jerusalem.     Two  days  before  the  passover  he  was  at  a  sup- 
per at  Bethany,  where  Mary  anointed  him  with  costly  oint- 
ment, which  he  said  was  for  his  burial.   Matt.  xxvi.  8,  ff. 
Judas  Iscariot  bargained  with  the  chief  priests  to  betray 
him  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver.     Then  followed  the  pass- 
over,  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  the  last  address 
of  Jesus  to  his  disciples  (John  xiv.  and  xvi.)  and  his  prayer 
(xvii.),  his  agony  in  Gethsemane  and  his  seizure  in  the 
night  by  the  band  of  soldiers  led  by  the  traitor  Judas.     He 
was  taken  to  the  high  priest's  house,  where  Peter  thrice  de- 
nied him.     Early  in  the  morning  the  Sanhedrim  was  sum- 
moned, who  pronounced  him  guilty  of  death.     He  was  then 
carried  to  the  judgment-hall  of  Pilate,  who  finally  gave  sen- 
tence that  he  should  be  crucified.     His  body  was  laid  in  a 
new  tomb  belonging  to  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  and  a  watch  set 
to  guard  the  sepulchre.     On  the  morning  of  the  third  day 
he  rose  from  the  dead;  and  when  Mary  Magdalene  and  the 
other  Mary  visited  the  sepulchre,  they  found  not  the  body 
of  Jesus,  but  saw  two  angels,  who  told  them  that  he  was 
alive ;  and  as  they  went  to  tell  the  disciples,  Jesus  himself 
met  them.     Pie  further  appeared  to  Mary  Magdalene  at 
the  sepulchre  (John  xx.  14),  to  Peter  (1  Cor.  xv.  f)),  to  two 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  139 

disciples  on  their  way  to  Emmaus  (Luke  xxiv.  15,  ff.),  to 
the  apostles  when  Thomas  was  absent  and  again  when  he 
was  present  (John  xx  19,  ff.),  to  seven  apostles  at  the  Sea 
of  Tiberias  (John  xxi  1,  ff.),  and  to  above  five  hundred 
brethren  at  once.  1  Coi  xv.  6.  Finally,  after  being  seen  of 
his  disciples  forty  days  (A.cts  i.  3),  he  ascended  in  their  sight 
to  heaven. 


LESSOJY  V. 
THE  LABOKS  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 

Our  Lord,  having  satisfied  the  apostles  of  the  reality  of 
his  resurrection  by  many  infallible  proofs,  commanded  them 
not  to  depart  from  Jerusalem  till  the  Holy  Spirit,  promised 
by  the  Father,  should  come  upon  them.  They  would  thus 
be  fitted  and  empowered  to  be  witnesses  unto  him  in  Jerusa- 
lem and  in  all  Judea  and  in  Samaria  and  unto  the  uttermost 
part  of  the  earth.  Having  given  them  this  charge,  he  was 
taken  up,  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight.  The 
eleven,  accordingly,  returned  from  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the 
scene  of  the  ascension,  and  with  the  rest  of  the  disciples, 
amounting  in  all  to  about  a  hundred  and  twenty,  continued 
with  one  accord  in  prayer  and  supplication,  awaiting  the 
fulfillment  of  the  promise.  Meanw^hile,  they  filled  up  the 
number  of  the  apostles,  which  had  been  reduced  by  the 
apostasy  and  suicide  of  Judas  Iscariot.  Two  were  named, 
who  had  been  with  the  Lord  Jesus  from  the  very  beginning 
of  his  ministry  until  the  day  of  his  ascension  to  heaven, 
and  who  therefore  were  competent  witnesses  to  his  resurrec- 
tion ;  of  these  Matthias  w^as  chosen  by  lot,  which  was  cast 
under  divine  direction. 

The  time  for  the  organization  of  the  Church  of  the  new 
disj)ensation  had  now  arrived.    It  was  the  day  of  Pentecost, 


140  PREPARING  TO  TEACH. 

the  annual  commemoration  of  the  organization  of  Israel  as 
the  people  of  God  under  the  former  dispensation,  when  God 
came  down  with  solemn  pomp  on  Sinai  and  proclaimed  his 
law.  The  Spirit  of  God  now  came  down  from  heaven  with 
the  sound  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind,  which  filled  the  house 
where  the  disciples  were  assembled.  And  there  appeared 
unto  them  cloven  tongues  as  of  fire,  and  it  sat  upon  each  of 
them.  And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
began  to  speak  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance.  Representatives  of  various  lands  then  present 
in  Jerusalem  in  attendance  upon  the  feast  flocked  in,  and 
were  amazed  that,  though  the  speakers  were  Galileans,  every 
man  heard  them  speak  in  his  own  language.  Thus  the  gos- 
pel of  the  crucified  and  risen  Saviour  was  at  the  very  outset 
proclaimed  to  those  who  had  been  gathered  from  distant  parts 
of  the  world,  symbolic  of  its  being  ultimately  preached  in 
all  the  world  and  to  every  creature.  And  the  same  day 
there  were  added  unto  them  about  three  thousand  souls. 
And  all  that  believed  were  together  and  had  all  things  com- 
mon, and  sold  their  possessions  and  goods  and  parted  them 
to  all  men  as  every  man  had  need ;  and  the  Lord  added  to 
the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved. 

The  infant  Church,  thus  divinely  established,  was  now 
subjected  to  successive  trials  from  without  and  from  within, 
which,  however,  instead  of  destroying,  or  even  weakening  it, 
vvere  overruled  for  its  enlargement  and  purification  and  more 
complete  equipment.  Peter  and  John  healed  a  lame  man 
at  the  temple  and  again  preached  Jesus  and  the  resurrection 
to  the  wondering  crowds,  five  thousand  of  whom  believed. 
For  thus  speaking  to  the  people  they  were  arrested  and 
brought  before  the  Sanhedrim,  where,  unabashed,  they 
repeated  their  testimony,  that  "  by  the  name  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised  from  the 
dead,  doth  this  man  stand  here  before  you  whole."  To  the 
command  of  the  council  that  they  should  not  speak  at  all, 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  141 

nor  teach  iu  the  name  of  Jesus,  they  firmly  and  decidedly 
refused  compliance.  So,  when  they  had  further  threatened 
them,  they  let  them  go,  finding  nothing  how  they  might 
punish  them,  because  of  the  people;  for  all  men  glorified 
God  for  that  which  was  done.  But  in  this  popularity  and 
rapid  increase  and  enthusiasm  of  the  early  converts  there  lay 
a  fresh  danger  to  the  Church,  arising  within  its  own  bosom ; 
unworthy  adherents  might  be  attracted  to  it  and  gain  ad- 
mission, whose  hypocrisy  might  cast  suspicion  on  the  body 
and  endanger  its  purity.  Ananias  and  Sapphira  sought  a 
reputation  for  piety  by  a  false  pretence,  but  their  sudden  and 
startling  fate  created  a  widespread  and  salutary  awe  which 
deterred  others  from  following  their  pernicious  example. 

Miracles  of  healing  continued  to  be  wrought  in  great 
numbers.  The  sick  were  placed  on  beds  and  couches  in 
the  streets  that  at  the  least  the  shadow  of  Peter  passing  by 
might  overshadow  some  of  them,  and  the  diseased  were 
brought  from  surrounding  cities  into  Jerusalem  to  be 
cured,  and  believers  were  added  to  the  Lord,  multitudes 
both  of  men  and  women.  Alarmed  at  the  rapidity  with 
which  the  new  faith  was  spreading,  the  high  priest  and  his 
associates  undertook  to  stop  it  by  still  more  summary  mea- 
sures than  before.  They  seized  the  whole  body  of  the 
apostles  and  put  them  in  the  common  prison.  When  the 
Sanhedrim  assembled  in  the  morning  to  deliberate  upon 
the  case,  to  their  dismay  the  prisoners  had  disappeared. 
They  had  been  miraculously  released,  and  had  returned  to 
the  temple  to  teach  the  people.  Learning  this,  they  had 
them  brought  before  them ;  and  exasperated  by  their  in- 
trepid boldness,  they  took  counsel  to  slay  them.  Dissuaded 
from  this  extreme  measure  by  the  judicious  advice  of 
Gamaliel,  they  beat  the  apostles  and  commanded  them  not 
to  speak  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  let  them  go.  And  they 
departed  rejoicing  that  they  were  counted  worthy  to  sufiTer 
shame  for  his  name ;  an  '  daily  in  the  temple  and  in  every 


142  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

house  they  ceased  not  to  teach  and  to  preach  Jesus  Christ. 
A  fresh  trouble  arose  within  the  Church  consequent  upon  its 
rapid  eulargement.  It  is  not  now  corruption,  threatening 
to  mar  the  purity  of  the  Church,  but  strife  between  parties, 
impairing  its  unity.  The  Grecian  Jews  murmured  against 
the  Hebrews  because  their  widows  were  neglected  in  the 
daily  ministration.  The  dissension  was  allayed,  and  the 
inadequate  distribution  of  the  benefactions  of  the  Church 
to  the  needy  poor  was  corrected  by  creating  the  office  of 
deacon  with  reference  to  this  special  work.  Seven  deacons 
were  appointed.  Among  them  was  Stephen,  whose  great 
fidelity  and  ability  proved  the  occasion  of  a  renewed  out- 
break of  hostility  more  virulent  than  before.  Stephen  him- 
self was  its  first  victim.  He  was  carried  before  the  Sanhe- 
drim, and  false  witnesses  brought  forward  who  charged  him 
with  blasphemous  words  against  the  temple  and  the  law. 
He  stated  and  defended  his  real  position  by  reciting  briefly 
the  history  of  the  chosen  people  and  showing  that  the  un- 
faithfulness of  which  they  had  been  guilty  in  every  age  had 
now  culminated  in  the  murder  of  Him  who  was  predicted 
by  the  prophets,  and  that  the  temple  could  not  be  God's  true 
and  permanent  abode.  These  unwelcome  truths  filled  them 
with  rage,  and  they  stoned  him  to  death.  It  is  in  connec- 
tion with  this  first  Christian  martyrdom  that  the  earliest 
mention  is  made  of  one  who  is  afterward  to  appear  in  a 
very  different  character  and  play  a  very  prominent  part  in 
the  apostolic  Church.  The  witnesses  laid  down  their  clothes 
at  a  young  man's  feet  whose  name  was  Saul,  and  Saul  was 
consenting  unto  his  death. 

This  martyrdom  was  the  signal  for  the  first  act  in  a  great 
and  bloody  persecution,  which,  however,  instead  of  crush- 
ing the  Church,  served  but  to  open  the  way  for  a  new  stage 
in  its  development  and  growth.  Hitherto  it  had  been  con- 
fined to  Jerusalem,  which  was  its  appointed  place  of  begin- 
ning.    The  time  had  now  come  for  its  diffusion,  and  the 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  143 

violence  of  this  t)ersecution  was  the  providential  means  of 
bringing  this  about.  The  disciples  were  scattered  abroad, 
and  went  everywhere  preaching  the  word.  Philip,  one  of 
the  seven  deacons,  went  northward  to  Samaria,  which  may 
be  said  to  have  occupied  a  position  intermediate  between 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  preached  the  gospel  with  such  suc- 
cess that  he  was  followed  by  the  apostles  Peter  and  John, 
who  labored  both  there  and  in  other  cities  of  the  Samari- 
tans. Philip  was  then  directed  to  the  opposite  quarter, 
southward  from  Jerusalem,  where  he  met  an  Ethiopian 
eunuch  of  great  authority  under  Queen  Candace,  and 
preached  to  him  Jesus;  he  believed,  was  baptized,  and  went 
on  his  way  rejoicing.  But  it  was  not  only  by  dispersed  dis- 
ciples that  the  gospel  was  thus  carried  into  various  parts. 
An  instrument  of  God's  grace  was  preparing  in  one  of  the 
persecutors  themselves.  Saul,  who  started  to  Damascus 
breathing  out  threatenings  and  slaughter  against  the  disci- 
ples of  the  Lord,  was  converted  on  the  way,  and  began 
himself  to  preach  Jesus,  first  at  Damascus,  then  at  Jerusa- 
lem, whence  also  he  found  it  prudent  to  retire  to  his  native 
city  of  Tarsus.  But  the  Church  did  not  itself  understand 
that  the  restrictions  of  the  old  dispensation  were  no  longer 
operative,  and  that  the  barriers  of  the  ccr-^monial  law, 
which  had  proved  so  serviceable  in  guarding  God's  ancient 
people  from  contamination,  were  not  now  to  be  permitted 
to  obstruct  the  free  diffusion  of  the  gospel.  Peter  had 
preached  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  that  the  promise  was  to 
all  that  are  afar  off  (Acts  ii.  39),  and  that  all  the  kindreds 
of  the  earth  were  to  be  blessed  in  the  seed  of  Abraham,  iii. 
25.  But  that  this  involved  the  abolition  of  Mosaic  institu- 
tions he  had  not  suspected.  The  first  lesson  on  this  subject 
was  now  given  to  the  apostle  of  the  circumcision.  Gal.  ii.  8. 
Peter  had  been  providentially  led  to  Lydda  and  then  to 
Joppa,  to  which  latter  place  Cornelius,  a  devout  Roman 
centurion  of  Caesarea,  had  been  directed  to  send  to  him  for 


144  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

further  instruction.  A  special  vision,  teaching  him  not  to 
call  that  unclean  which  God  had  cleansed,  prepared  him 
for  the  coming  of  the  messengers,  with  whom  the  Spirit  bid 
him  go.  As  he  was  preaching  to  Cornelius  and  his  assem- 
bled friends  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them  with  his  miracu- 
lous influences,  and  he  could  not  refuse  to  baptize  them. 
On  his  return  to  Jerusalem  he  was  charged  with  having 
broken  the  law  by  eating  with  men  uncircumcised ;  but  on 
his  rehearsing  the  whole  matter,  the  confession  was  made, 
"  Then  hath  God  also  to  the  Gentiles  granted  repentance 
unto  life."  A  further  step  was  taken  in  the  same  direction 
when  those  scattered  by  the  persecution  came  to  Antioch 
and  preached  to  Greeks  with  remarkable  success.  This 
was  followed  up  by  Barnabas  and  Saul,  who  labored  there 
for  a  whole  year ;  and  the  disciples  were  first  called  Chris- 
tians in  Antioch.  It  was  thus  recognized  for  the  first  time 
that  they  were  not  a  mere  section  of  the  Jews,  but  formed  a 
distinct  body.  The  new  name  implied  the  admission  that 
the  Church  had  attained  to  a  separate  and  independent  ex- 
istence. Antioch  was  preparing  to  be  a  new  centre  of  Chris- 
tian radiation,  but  meanwhile  recognized  its  dependence  on 
the  mother-church  at  Jerusalem  by  sending  supplies  to  the 
needy  brethren  in  Judea  by  the  hands  of  Barnabas  and 
Saul.  A  fresh  persecution  under  Herod  Agrippa  showed 
how  impossible  it  was  thus  to  check  the  gospel.  James,  the 
brother  of  John,  was  killed.  But  Peter,  though  impris- 
oned, was  miraculously  released ;  the  persecutor  died  a  mis- 
erable death,  and  the  word  of  God  grew  and  multiplied. 

The  time  had  now  come  for  an  entirely  new  movement  in 
the  work  of  spreading  the  gospel.  Hitherto  apostolic  and 
Christian  labor  had  been  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the 
territory  of  Palestine.  Now,  by  the  express  direction  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  Barnabas  and  Saul,  or  Paul,  were  set  apart,  and 
sent  forth  by  the  church  at  Antioch  upon  a  mission  in  for- 
eign lands.     They  passed  through  Seleucia,  Salamis  and 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  145 

Paphos  in  Cyprus,  Perga  in  Pamphylia,  Antioch  in  Pisidia, 
Iconium,  Lystra  and  Derbe,  and  then  returned  by  the  same 
route  to  Perga,  and  thence  to  Attalia  and  Antioch,  planting 
and  organizing  churches  everywhere.  The  chief  opposition 
that  they  encountered  was  from  the  Jews,  and  their  princi- 
pal converts  were  from  the  Gentiles.  But  were  these  Gen- 
tile converts  to  be  required  to  observe  the  law  of  Moses  ? 
This  was  affirmed  by  some  who  came  down  from  Judea,  and 
denied  by  Paul  and  Barnabas.  The  question  was  referred 
to  the  apostles  and  elders  at  Jerusalem  for  decision,  and 
they  enjoined  no  ceremonial  observances  whatever,  but  sim- 
ply required  them,  from  prudential  cousiderations,  to  abstain 
from  meats  offered  to  idols,  and  from  things  strangled,  and 
from  blood,  as  well  as  to  keep  aloof  from  that  licentiousness 
which  prevailed  to  such  a  shocking  extent  among  the 
heathen.  Paul  and  Barnabas  now  separated,  each  going  in 
a  different  direction.  Barnabas,  with  Mark,  sailed  unto  his 
native  island  of  Cyprus.  Paul,  with  Silas  and  Timothy, 
took  a  much  more  extensive  tour  than  before.  After  passing 
through  Galatia  and  other  parts  of  Asia  Minor,  he  was  led 
by  express  divine  direction  into  Europe.  Entering  Mace- 
donia, he  visited  Philippi  and  Thessalonica,  founding  the 
churches  to  which  he  subsequently  addressed  three  of  his 
Epistles.  Driven  onward  by  Jewish  opposition,  he  went  to 
Berea,  Athens  and  Corinth,  where  he  remained  a  year  and 
six  months,  and  the  results  of  his  labors  are  apparent  in  his 
two  Epistles  to  the  church  in  that  city.  Having  thus  gained 
a  permanent  lodgment  for  the  gospel  in  Greece,  he  hastened 
back  to  Jerusalem  and  Antioch  by  way  of  Ephesus, 
promising  shortly  to  return  to  this  important  city.  Accord- 
ingly, after  a  brief  delay,  he  directed  his  third  missionary 
journey  mainly  to  Ephesus,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years,  preaching  in  the  synagogues,  disputing  in  the  schools, 
teaching  from  house  to  house,  and  working  miracles  with 

such  effect  that  all  they  which  dwelt  in  Asia  heard  the  word 
13- 


146  PREPARING   TO    TEACH. 

of  the  Lord  Jesus,  both  Jews  and  Greeks.  Great  numbers 
believed,  and  many  abandoned  the  practice  of  magic  arts, 
and  the  makers  of  silver  shrines  for  Diana  began  to  fear 
that  they  should  lose  their  occupation,  so  mightily  grew 
the  word  of  God,  and  prevailed.  Having  occupied  this  pop- 
ulous and  influential  metropolis  of  Western  Asia,  Paul  next 
turned  his  thoughts  to  Rome,  the  capital  and  heart  of  the 
civilized  world  (Acts  xix.  21),  where,  however,  he  was  to  be 
taken  in  a  very  different  way  from  that  he  then  imagined. 
A  short  time  was  spent  in  revisiting  the  churches  in  Greece 
and  Macedonia,  after  which  he  returned  to  Miletus,  where 
he  took  a  last  affecting  farewell  of  the  elders  of  the  Ephesian 
church,  and  then  persistently,  in  the  face  of  entreaties  and 
prophetic  warning,  went  bound  in  the  spirit  unto  Jerusa- 
lem. 

Thus  far  the  gospel  had  been  spread  by  the  active  efforts 
of  the  apostles  and  disciples,  either  impelled  by  their  own 
voluntary  purpose  or  driven  by  the  persecution  of  foes. 
The  preacher  of  the  gospel  is  now  to  be  carried  to  the  cap- 
ital of  the  Roman  empire  by  the  authorities  of  the  empire 
itself  Paul  had  scarcely  been  a  week  in  Jerusalem  when 
he  was  seized  in  the  temple  by  a  Jewish  mob,  who  would 
have  put  him  to  death  if  he  had  not  been  rescued  by  the 
chief  captain  of  the  Roman  garrison,  by  whose  permission 
he  made  his  defence  to  the  joopulace  from  the  stairs  of  the 
castle.  On  the  following  day  he  made  another  defence  be- 
fore the  assembled  Jewish  council.  As  a  plot  had  been 
formed  against  his  life,  he  was  sent  under  guard  to  Csesarea, 
the  residence  of  the  governor  Felix,  before  whom  he  de- 
fended himself  again,  and  then  once  more  before  his  suc- 
cessor, Festus.  As  the  latter  proposed  to  send  him  back  to 
Jerusalem,  he  was  obliged  to  appeal  unto  Caesar.  Accord- 
ingly, after  a  fifth  defence,  in  the  presence  of  KingAgrippa, 
he  was  embarked  as  a  prisoner  for  Rome.  The  vessel  in 
which  he  sailed  was  wrecked  upon  the  island  of  Malta ;  but 


BIBLE  HISTORY.  147 

all  escaping  with  their  lives,  he  was  forwarded  to  the  impe- 
rial city.  Here,  being  suffered  to  dwell  by  himself  with  a 
soldier  that  kept  him,  he  first,  as  had  been  his  invariable 
custom,  endeavored  to  win  the  Jews  to  the  acceptance  of 
the  gospel.  So,  calling  their  chief  men  together  in  three 
days  after  his  arrival,  a  day  was  named  for  a  conference,  at 
which  he  expounded  and  testified  the  kingdom  of  God,  per- 
suading them  concerning  Jesus,  both  out  of  the  law  of  Mo- 
ses and  out  of  the  prophets,  from  morning  till  evening. 
And  some  believed  the  things  which  were  spoken,  and  some 
believed  not.  And  when  they  agreed  not  among  themselves 
they  departed,  after  Paul  had  faithfully  set  before  them  the 
consequences  of  this  obstinate  blindness :  Be  it  known, 
therefore,  unto  you  that  the  salvation  of  God  is  sent  unto 
the  Gentiles,  and  that  they  will  hear  it.  And  Paul  dwelt 
two  whole  years  in  his  own  hired  house,  and  received  all 
that  came  in  unto  him,  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
teaching  those  things  which  concern  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
with  all  confidence,  no  man  forbidding  him. 

The  Church,  thus  gradually  freed  from  the  trammels  of 
Judaism,  and  planted  in  the  chief  seats  of  population  and 
influence,  and  attended  by  the  mighty  power  of  God,  was 
fairly  equipped  for  its  great  struggle  for  the  mastery  of  the 
world. 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE. 


LESSOJf  L 
PALESTINE, 


The  land  which  was  the  residence  of  the  chosen  people, 
where  our  blessed  Saviour  dwelt  and  where  the  principal 
events  recorded  in  the  Bible  took  place,  is  known  by  various 
names.  On  account  of  its  sacred  associations  it  is  called 
the  Holy  Land  (Zech.  ii.  12),  the  pleasant  land  (Dan.  viii.  9), 
the  glorious  land  (Dan.  xi.  16),  the  Lord's  land  (Hos.  ix.  3), 
the  land  which  the  Lord  sware  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac  and 
to  Jacob  (Gen.  1.  24),  and  the  land  of  promise.  Heb.  xi.  9. 
From  its  inhabitants  at  different  periods  it  is  called  the. 
land  of  Canaan  (Gen.  xi.  31),  the  land  of  the  Hebrews 
(Gen.  xl.  15),  the  land  of  Israel  (1  Sam.  xiii.  19),  and  Pal- 
estine, which  is  now  familiarly  applied  to  the  whole  coun- 
try ;  though  when  used  in  the  Old  Testament  (Ex.  xv.  14 ; 
Isa.  xiv.  29 ;  Joel  iii.  4),  it  has  its  original  and  narrower 
sense  of  Philistia  (Ps.  Ix.  8),  or  the  territory  of  the  Philis- 
tines along  the  south-western  coast. 

This  land  was  admirably  adapted  by  its  location  for  the 
purpose  for  which  God  in  his  providence  designed  it.  It 
was  shut  in  by  great  natural  barriers,  the  Mediterranean  on 
the  west,  the  mountain  range  of  Lebanon  on  the  north  and 
the  desert  on  the  south  and  east,  and  the  people  were  thus 
secluded  from  the  heathen  states  around  them.  Its  prox- 
imity to  the  seats  of  early  civilization  and  to  the  great  em- 
pires of  the  old  world  both  gave  them  the  advantage  of  the 
highest  existing  forms  of  worldly  culture  and  provided 
13  •  149 


150  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

instruments  for  their  chastisement  when  they  transgressed. 
And  its  central  position  in  relation  to  the  three  great  conti- 
nents of  the  eastern  hemisphere,  lying  as  it  did  upon  or 
adjacent  to  the  main  routes  of  trade  and  travel  from  west 
to  east,  eminently  fitted  it  to  be  the  centre  of  diffusion  for 
the  true  religion  when  the  time  had  come  for  the  gospel  to 
be  preached  to  every  creature. 

As  defined  in  the  promise  to  Abraham  (Gen.  xv.  18)  and 
to  Moses  (Ex,  xxiii.  31),  the  land  extended  to  the  Euphrates 
on  the  east  and  to  the  Red  Sea  on  the  south.  These  limits 
were  reached  in  the  prosperous  reigns  of  David  and  Solo- 
mon (1  Kings  iv.  21 ;  ix.  26),  but  were  only  maintained  for 
a  brief  period.  The  territory  actually  assigned  by  Moses 
to  the  tribes  east  of  the  Jordan  is  minutely  described 
Num.  xxxii.  33-42,  and  the  boundaries  of  the  territory 
west  of  the  Jordan  are  given  in  Num.  xxxiv.  2-12.  This 
cannot  now  be  traced  with  perfect  accuracy,  since  several 
of  the  places  named  in  the  description  can  no  longer  be 
identified.  It  may  be  stated  in  the  general  that  it  lay  be- 
tween 331°  and  35|°  east  longitude,  as  reckoned  from  Green- 
wich, and  between  Z^l°  and  33^°  north  latitude,  being  thus 
about  midway  between  the  equator  and  the  arctic  circle. 
Kitto  estimates  its  extreme  length  from  north  to  south  at 
about  180  miles,  and  its  extreme  breadth  from  west  to  east 
at  about  100  miles,  its  average  breadth  being  perhaps  65 
miles  and  its  area  about  11,000  square  miles.  This  would 
make  it  about  the  size  of  the  State  of  Maryland,  or  equal 
to  one-fourth  of  Pennsylvania,  or  one-fifth  of  England  and 
Wales,  or  two-thirds  of  Switzerland.  But  as  in  the  case 
of  Greece,  its  influence  upon  the  world  has  been  immense, 
notwithstanding  its  small  extent. 

In  studying  the  geography  of  Palestine,  we  shall  first 
consider  its  physical  features  and  then  proceed  to  its  civil 
divisions  and  its  cities.  As  the  most  important  of  the  phys- 
ical features  of  a  country  are  its  elevations,  we  shall  in  the 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  161 

first  instance  examine  the  mountains  and  highlands.  These 
condition  the  existence  and  determine  the  amount  of  its 
depressions,  viz.,  the  valleys  and  plains,  which  will  next 
claim  attention.  And  these  again  fix  its  water  system 
in  location,  extent  and  the  direction  of  its  flow,  which 
brings  before  us  its  seas  and  lakes,  rivers,  streams  and 
fountains. 

Mountains. 

In  general,  Palestine  may  be  described  as  a  mountain 
land,  or,  as  it  is  called  by  Moses  (Deut.  xi.  11),  "a  land  of 
hills  and  valleys."  It  is  an  elevated,  undulating  region, 
stretching  from  the  mountains  of  Lebanon  on  the  north  to 
the  Arabian  desert  and  the  mountains  of  Sin,  an  extension 
of  the  Sinaitic  range,  on  the  south.  This  lofty  plateau  is 
divided  through  all  its  extent  from  north  to  south  by  the 
deep  and  precipitous  valley  of  the  Jordan,  called  by  the 
modern  inhabitants  El  Ghor,  and  which,  under  the  name 
El  Arabah,  is  continued  all  the  way  to  the  Dead  Sea.  Par- 
allel to  this  is  a  broader  depression  along  the  Mediterra- 
nean coast,  which  also  reaches,  with  but  a  single  interrup- 
tion, from  the  northern  to  the  southern  limit  of  the  country. 
There  are  thus  two  elevated  plateaus  extending  north  and 
south,  one  on  the  east  and  the  other  on  the  west  of  the  Jor- 
dan, and  two  resulting  depressions,  viz.,  the  valley  of  the 
river  Jordan  and  the  plain  upon  the  sea-coast. 

Reviewing  the  mountains  more  in  detail,  Lebanon  de- 
mands the  first  place,  as  most  remarkable  in  itself  and  most 
frequently  referred  to  in  Scripture.  Moses  calls  it  (Deut. 
iii.  26)  "  that  goodly  mountain."  The  name  Lebanon  means 
strictly  the  "white"  mountain,  and  is  given  to  it  either  on 
account  of  the  chalky  whiteness  of  the  limestone  rock  of 
which  it  is  chiefly  composed,  or  because  of  the  snow  which 
rests  upon  some  of  its  summits  during  the  greater  part  of 
the  year.     The  southern  extremity  of  Lebanon  constitutes 


152  PREPARING   TO  TEACH, 

the  northern  boundary  of  Palestine.  It  consists  of  two 
parallel  ranges  of  mountains,  commonly  called  Libanus 
and  anti-Libanus,  though  this  distinction  is  never  made  in 
the  Bible,  both  being  there  included  under  the  common 
name  of  Lebanon.  They  run  through  about  one  degree  of 
latitude,  from  south-west  to  north-east,  parallel  to  the  sea- 
coast  and  enclosing  the  rich  and  fertile  valley  of  Ccele- 
Syria,  or,  as  it  called  (Josh.  xi.  17;  xii.  7),  "the  valley  of 
Lebanon."  The  mountains  attain  an  elevation  of  about 
9000  feet ;  their  sides  are  terraced  and  extremely  product- 
ive. The  sacred  writers  celebrate  its  perennial  streams 
(Sol.  Song  iv.  15)  ;  the  perfume  of  its  plants  (Sol.  Song  iv. 
11 ;  Hos.  xiv.  6)  ;  its  wine  (Hos.  xiv.  7)  ;  and  especially  its 
cedars,  which  the  Tyrians  used  for  masts  of  vessels  and 
boxes  of  merchandise  (Ezek.  xxv.  5,  24),  David  for  his 
palace  on  Mount  Zion  (2  Sam.  v.  11),  Solomon  in  the  erec- 
tion of  the  temple,  floating  them  by  sea  to  Joppa  (2  Chron. 
ii.  8,  16),  and  the  Jews  after  the  captivity  in  building  the 
second  temple.  Ezra  iii.  7. 

The  southern  portion  of  the  anti-Libanus  range  was 
known  as  Mount  Hermon,  which,  according  to  Dent.  iii.  9, 
the  Sidonians  called  "Sirion"  and  the  Amorites  ''Shenir," 
-ind  also  bore  the  name  of  "Sion"  (Dent.  iv.  45),  a  different 
word  in  Hebrew  from  "Zion,"  the  mountain  in  Jerusalem, 
though  this  is  also  spelled  "Sion"  in  the  New  Testament. 
ETermon  is  the  highest  point  in  the  range,  rising  to  an  alti- 
tude of  perhaps  10,000  feet,  and  covered  with  perpetual 
snow.  The  hoary  whiteness  of  its  summit  has  given  rise  to 
its  modern  name  of  Jebel-es-Sheikh,  old  man  mountain,  or 
Jebel-el-telj,  snow  mountain. 

Passing  southward  upon  the  west  of  the  Jordan,  we  first 
meet  Mount  Naphtali,  mentioned  once  (Josh.  xx.  7)  as  the 
site  of  Kedesh,  one  of  the  cities  of  refuge.  It  is  a  spur 
running  south-west  from  Hermon,  and  is  named  from  the 
tribe  within  whose  territory  it  lay.     This  falls  off  into  the 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  153 

high  table-land   of  Zebuliin,  or   of  Galilee,   which   slopes 
gradually  into  the  plain  on  the  seacoast,  but  with  a  steeper 
descent  into  the  valley  of  jezreel  on  the  south,  and  more 
abruptly  still  toward  the  Lake  of  Gennesaret  and  the  val- 
ley of  the  Jordan.     From  this  elevated  base  arises  the  so- 
called  Mount  of  Beatitudes,  nearly  due  west  from  the  mid- 
dle of  the  lake,  and  Mount  Tabor  farther  south,  almost  on 
a  line  with  the  extremity  of  the  same  base.     The  former, 
which  derives  its  name  from  the  doubtful  tradition  that  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  was  delivered  on  its  summit,  is  a  low 
ridge  thirty  or  forty  feet  high  and  scarcely  half  a  mile  long. 
Mount  Tabor  is  in  appearance  a  truncated  cone,  rising  to  a 
considerable  elevation  and  having  a  level  plot  of  more  than 
a  mile  in  circumference  upon  its  summit,  which  commands 
a  view  of  rare  extent  and  beauty.     It  is  spoken  of  (Josh. 
xix.  22)  as  one  point  in  the  boundary  of  the  tribe  of  Issa- 
char ;  at  this  mountain  Barak  assembled  his  army  before 
his  victory  over  Sisera  (Judg.  iv.  6),  here  Gideon's  brethren 
were  slain  by  the  Midianites  (Judg.  viii.  18),  and  tradition 
has  fixed  upon  it  as  the  scene  of  our  Lord's  transfiguration. 
South  of  the  table-land  of  Nazareth  runs  the  broad  and 
fertile  valley  of  Jezreel,  separating  it  from  the  high  land 
beyond,  which  extends  southward  to  the  limits  of  Palestine. 
This,  though  forming  an  uninterrupted  hill  country,  is  dis- 
tinguished (Josh.  XX.  7)  into  the  mountain  of  Ephraim  and 
the  mountain  of  Judah,  the  former  embracing  the  northern 
and  the  latter  the  southern  portion  of  it,  the  names  being 
derived  from  the  tribes  in  whose  territories  it  lay.     At  the 
north-eastern  extremity  of  this  mountain  land  of  Ephraim 
we  find  Mount  Gilboa,  overlooking  the  valley  of  Jezreel 
and  the  plain  of  the  Jordan ;  here  Saul  and  his  sons  were 
slain  in  battle  with  the  Philistines.   1  Sam.  xxxi.     North 
of  this  mountain,  and  separated  from  it  by  a  branch  of  the 
valley  of  Jezreel,  lies  a  high  ridge  to  which  tradition  has  im- 
properly given  the  name  of  Hermon,  and  which  is  in  con- 


154  PREPARING  TO  TEACH. 

sequence  often  called  Little  Hermon,  in  distinction  from 
the  true  Hermon  already  spoken  of. 

At  its  north-western  extremity  the  mountain  of  Ephraim 
sends  out  a  long  spur  reaching  to  the  sea,  the  extremity  of 
which  is  known  as  the  promontory  of  Mount  Carmel.  This 
name,  which  signifies  "  a  garden,"  was  bestowed  upon  it  on 
account  of  its  fertility.  Hence,  Isaiah,  describing  the  glo- 
rious changes  of  the  future  under  the  emblem  of  the  desert 
being  made  to  bloom,  says  (xxxv.  2),  "  The  glory  of  Leba- 
non and  the  excellency  of  Carmel  shall  be  given  unto  it." 
This  marked  the  southern  boundary  of  the  tribe  of  Asher 
(Josh.  xix.  26) ;  here  Elijah  encountered  the  prophets  of 
Baal  and  his  sacrifice  was  consumed  by  fire  from  heaven 
(1  Kings  xviii.  19,  ff".)  ;  from  its  summit  his  servant  saw  the 
little  cloud  arising  out  of  the  sea  (ver.  44);  and  here  we 
subsequently  find  Elisha.  2  Kings  iv.  25.  Its  modern 
name  is  Jebel  mar  Elias,  or  the  mountain  of  St.  Elijah. 
The  order  of  Carmelite  monks  takes  its  name  from  this 
mountain,  on  which  convents  have  been  erected  at  different 
periods.  The  snowy  peak  of  Hermon  is  visible  from  its 
summit,  though  perhaps  fifty  miles  distant.  The  immense 
number  of  caves  and  grottoes,  natural  or  artificial,  which 
here  exist  and  afford  remarkable  facilities  for  concealment, 
is  perhaps  alluded  to  in  Amos  ix.  3 :  "  Though  they  hide 
themselves  in  the  top  of  Carmel." 

To  the  mountains  of  Ephraim  further  belong  Ebal  and 
Gerizim,  which  rise  in  steep,  rocky  precipices  frotn  opposite 
sides  of  the  narrow  valley  of  Shechem.  The  children  of 
Israel  were  directed  (Deut.  xxvii.),  on  their  entrance  into 
Canaan,  to  erect  an  altar  on  Ebal,  and  six  tribes  were  to 
stand  on  Ebal  to  pronounce  the  curses  of  the  law,  and  six 
on  Gerizim  to  pronounce  blessings.  The  Samaritans  built 
a  temple  on  Gerizim  in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great, 
and  substituted  "  Gerizim "  for  "  Ebal "  in  their  copies  of 
the  law  in  the  passage  above  referred  to.     To  this  temple 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  155 

the  woman  of  Samaria  alluded  when  she  said  (John  iv.  20), 
"Our  fathers  worshiped  in  this  mountain,"  and  to  this 
day  the  Samaritans  turn  their  faces  toward  Mount  Gerizira 
when  they  pray.  It  was  from  the  top  of  Gerizim  that  Jo- 
tham  propounded  his  parable  to  the  men  of  Shechera. 
Judg.  ix.  7. 

To  the  mountain  land  of  Ephraim  also  belong  the  hill  of 
Samaria  (1  Kings  xvi.  24),  on  which  the  city  of  that  name 
was  built;  Mount  Zalmon,  which  must  have  been  some- 
where in  the  vicinity  of  Shechem ;  the  hill  Gaash,  where 
Joshua  was  buried  (Josh.  xx.  30) ;  and  Mount  Zemaraim, 
the  scene  of  a  victory  by  King  Abijah  over  Jeroboan. 
(2  Chron.xiii.  3),  whose  localities  cannot  now  be  identified. 

The  southern  part  of  this  elevated  region,  or  the  moun- 
tain of  Judah,  includes  the  mountains  of  Jerusalem,  viz :  Zion, 
which  David  selected  for  his  own  residence  (2  Sam.  v.  7), 
and  on  which  he  erected  a  temporary  tabernacle  for  the 
ark  (2  Sam.  vi.  12,  ff.) ;  Mount  Moriah,  on  which  Solomon 
built  the  temple  (2  Chron.  iii.  1),  and  where  Abraham  had 
been  directed  to  offer  Isaac  (Gen.  xxii.  2);  and  the  Mount 
of  Olives  on  the  east  side  of  the  city.  On  the  eastern 
border  of  this  mountain  district  of  Judah,  near  Jericho,  is 
Mount  Quarantaniti,  so  called  as  the  reputed  scene  of  our 
Lord's  temptation  and  fasting  for  forty  days.  At  the  foot 
of  this  mountain  is  a  spring,  said  to  be  the  one  which  Eli- 
sha  healed  by  casting  into  it  a  cruse  of  salt.  2  Kings  ii.  21. 

The  south-eastern  portion  of  this  high  table-land  was  the 
wilderness  of  Judah  (Judg.  i.  16),  different  portions  of 
which  went  by  different  names  derived  from  places  in  the 
vicinity,  as  the  wilderness  of  Tekoah  (2  Chron.  xx.  20), 
and  the  following,  which  occur  in  the  history  of  David  :  the 
wilderness  of  Engedi  (1  Sam.  xxiv.  1),  of  Maon  (1  Sam. 
xxiii.  25),  of  Ziph.  1  Sam.  xxiii.  14.  Carmel,  also,  where 
Nabal  resided  (1  Sam.  xxv.),  is  in  this  region,  and  must  not 
be  confounded  with  the  promontory  of  Mount  Carmel,  be- 


156  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

fore  described.  The  southern  extremity  of  the  mountain 
of  Judah,  where  it  abuts  upon  the  wilderness,  is  called  the 
mountain  of  the  Amorites.  Deut.  i.  7.  The  children  of 
Israel  presumptuously  undertook  to  enter  the  land  by  this 
route  after  they  had  been  condemned  to  retrace  their  steps 
in  the  wilderness,  and  were  in  consequence  smitten  before 
the  Amorites.  Deut.  i.  43,  44. 

The  elevated  district  east  of  the  Jordan  was  called  in  its 
northern  portion  the  hill  of  Bashan  (Ps.  Ixviii.  15),  cele- 
brated for  its  oaks  (Isa.  ii.  13)  and  for  its  cattle  (Deut. 
xxxii.  14;  Ps.  xxii.  12),  which  there  found  abundant  pas- 
turage. Farther  south  it  was  known  as  Mount  Gilead 
(Deut.  iii.  12),  and  opposite  the  Dead  Sea  the  range  took 
the  name  of  the  mountain  Abarim  (Deut.  xxxii.  49),  to 
which  belong  Mount  Nebo,  a  particular  summit,  and  Mount 
Pisgah,  a  portion  of  the  range  (Deut.  xxxiv.  1)  from  which 
Moses  saw  the  promised  land,  and  where  he  died ;  also 
Mount  Peor,  to  which,  as  well  as  to  Pisgah,  Balak  brought 
Balaam  when  he  wished  him  to  curse  Israel. 

The  mountains  of  Palestine  are  mostly  composed  of 
limestone,  in  which  are  numerous  caves,  such  as  those  in 
which  the  Israelites  hid  from  fear  of  the  Midianites  (Judg.  vi. 
2),  or  of  the  Philistines.  1  Sam.  xiii.  6.  Five  kings  of  the 
Canaanites  concealed  themselves  in  the  cave  at  Makkedali 
(Josh.  X.  16)  ;  six  hundred  Benjamites  abode  in  the  rock 
Rimmon  four  months  (Judg.  xx.  47) ;  David  and  his  men 
took  refuge  from  the  pursuit  of  Saul  in  the  cave  Adullam 
(1  Sam.  xxii.  1)  and  in  another  in  the  wilderness  of  En- 
gedi.  1  Sam.  xxiv.  3.  The  cave  in  Machpelah  was  pur- 
chased by  Abraham  for  a  burial-place  (Gen.  xxiii.  17),  and 
our  Lord's  body  was  laid  in  a  tomb  hewn  out  of  the  rock. 
Matt,  xxvii.  60. 

The  mountains  of  Bashan  consist  of  a  black  basalt,  which 
contains  no  caves  and  is  too  hard  to  be  hollowed  out.  This 
explains  the  circumstance  mentioned   (Deut.  iii.  4,  5)  as 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  157 

peculiar  to  Bashan,  that  the  cities  were  fenced  with  high 
walls,  gates  and  bars.  In  the  regions  traversed  by  the 
children  of  Israel  previously  the  people  dwelt  largely  in 
habitations  excavated  from  the  rock,  as  in  the  Edomite  city 
of  Petra.  Obad.,  ver.  3.  But  in  Bashan  this  v/as  impossi- 
ble. The  only  way  in  which  they  could  there  provide  for 
mutual  defence  was  by  living  together  in  walled  cities. 


LESSOM  11. 
PLAINS  AND  VALLEYS, 


The  valley  of  Jezreel  has  already  been  spoken  of  as 
intersecting  the  highlands  west  of  the  Jordan,  It  lies 
between  the  mountains  of  Galilee  on  the  north,  the  moun- 
tains of  Ephraim  on  the  south,  Mount  Carmel  on  the  west 
and  Mount  Gilboa  on  the  east,  and  is  perhaps  twenty  miles 
long  by  ten  broad.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  city  of 
Jezreel,  and  is  occasionally  called  the  valley  of  Megiddo 
from  another  town  included  within  its  limits.  2  Chron. 
XXXV.  22.  This  has  been  the  great  battle-ground  of  Pales- 
tine. Here  Gideon  gained  his  victory  over  the  Midianites 
(Judg.  vi.  32 ;  vii.  22) ;  here  the  Israelites  encamped  prior 
to  Saul's  last  battle  with  the  Philistines  (1  Sam.  xxix.  1); 
here  the  Syrians  were  beaten  by  Ahab  when  they  said  the 
Lord  was  the  God  of  the  hills,  but  not  of  the  valleys  (1  Kings 
XX.  26) ;  here  King  Josiah  was  slain  in  battle  with  the  king 
of  Egypt.  2  Kings  xxiii.  29.  It  was,  according  to  Jose- 
phus,  the  scene  of  a  battle  between  the  Jews  and  the  Ro- 
mans under  Vespasian,  and  in  modern  times  the  French 
under  Napoleon  here  gained  a  victory  over  the  Turks. 

The  plain  along  the  sea-coast  is  divided  by  Mount  Car- 
mel. That  portion  which  extends  northward  to  the  prom- 
ontory known  as  the  Ladder  of  Tyre  is  not  particularly 

14 


158  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

mentioned  m  Scripture.  The  other  portion,  extending  from 
Mount  Carmel  to  the  southern  boundary  of  Palestine,  is 
about  one  hundred  miles  in  length  and  from  twelve  to 
twenty  miles  in  breadth.  From  Carmel  to  Joppa  or  Jarn- 
nia  it  was  called  the  plain  of  Sharon,  whose  fertility  and 
beauty  are  frequently  celebrated  in  the  Bible.  South  of 
this  it  was  called  the  vale  (Josh.  x.  48)  ;  its  Hebrew  name, 
Sephela,  is  retained  in  1  Mace.  xii.  38.  The  valley  of  Sorek 
(Judg.  xvi.  4),  where  Samson  found  Delilah,  was  probably 
somewhere  in  this  Philistine  vale. 

The  plain  of  the  Jordan  (Gen.  xiii.  10;  called,  Matt.  iii.  5, 
the  region  round  about  Jordan)  is  the  valley  through  which 
the  Jordan  flows.  It  is  of  varying  width  and  mostly 
bounded  on  each  side  by  steep  ascents.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Jericho  it  was  called  the  plain  of  the  valley  of  Jericho 
(Deut.  xxxiv.  3),  and  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  opposite  Jeri- 
cho, it  was  called  the  plains  of  Moab.  Num.  xx.  1.  As 
this  depression  continues  southward  from  the  Dead  Sea  to 
the  ^lanitic  gulf,  it  was  formerly  thought  that  the  Jordan 
flowed  by  this  channel  into  the  Red  Sea  prior  to  the  de- 
struction of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  But  this  opinion  has 
been  abandoned  since  the  discovery  of  the  fact  that  this 
valley  for  a  considerable  distance  descends  northward  to- 
ward the  Dead  Sea,  and  that  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea 
itself  is  so  i'ar  below  that  of  neighboring  seas.  The  Val- 
ley of  Salt,  where  David  smote  the  Syrians  (2  Sam.  xiii.  13), 
and  where  Araaziah  gained  a  victory  over  Edoni  (2  Kings 
xiv.  7),  was  south  of  the  Dead  Sea  in  this  extension  of  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan. 

Seas,  Lakes  and  Rivers. 

The  Mediterranean  is  called  the  sea  (Num.  xxxiv.  5),  the 
great  sea  (vs.  6,  7),  the  uttermost  sea  (Deut.  xi.  24) — i.  e., 
the  hindmost  sea,  which  is  equivalent  to  the  western  sea, 
since  the  face  was  turned  to  the  east  in  naming  the  points 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  159 

of  the  compass;  it  is  also  entitled  the  sea  of  the  Philistines 
(Ex.  xxiii.  31),  because  the  Philistines  occupied  a  portion 
of  its  coast.  The  shores  of  this  sea  from  the  Ladder  of 
Tyre  northward  are  rocky  and  precipitous.  But  the  greater 
portion  of  the  coast  of  Palestine  is  low  and  sandy.  The 
only  good  harbor  is  that  lying  north  of  Carmel,  though 
voyages  were  made  to  and  from  Joppa  (Jon.  i.  3)  and  ves- 
sels landed  at  Csesarea.  Acts  xviii.  22. 

The  Jordan  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  Canaan,  prop- 
erly so  called,  or  the  dividing  line  between  Eastern  and  West- 
ern Palestine.  This  river  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of 
three  or  four  small  streams  which  descend  from  the  region 
of  Mount  Herraon.  It  flows  first  iFito  the  Lake  of  Merom, 
on  the  banks  of  w^hich  Joshua  discomfited  Jabin,  king  of 
Hazor,  and  the  kings  that  were  with  him.  Josh.  xi.  7.  A 
few  miles  below  this  it  flows  through  the  Lake  of  Gennes- 
aret,  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  or  the  Sea  of  Tiberias,  as  it  is 
variously  called  in  the  New  Testament,  where  it  is  repeat- 
edly mentioned  in  connection  with  events  in  the  life  of  our 
Lord ;  its  name  in  the  Old  Testament  is  the  Sea  of  Cinne- 
roth  (Josh.  xii.  3),  or,  with  a  slightly  different  orthography, 
Chinnereth.  Num.  xxxiv.  11.  This  lake  is  about  twelve 
miles  long  and  five  broad,  and  is  encased  among  beautiful 
and  verdant  hills,  having  on  the  west  the  table-land  of  Gali* 
lee  and  on  the  east  the  still  steeper  and  loftier  region  of 
Bashan.  The  waters  of  the  lake  are  clear  and  sweet,  and 
at  its  northern  extremity  abound  in  fish. 

Leaving  this  lake,  the  Jordan  continues  to  flow  due  south 
until  it  reaches  the  Dead  Sea,  called  also  the  sea  of  the 
plain,  the  salt  sea  (Deut  iii.  7)  and  the  east  sea  (Ezek. 
xlvii.  18),  which  occupies  the  site  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
and  the  other  cities  of  the  plain,  which  were  destroyed  by 
fire  from  heaven,  whence  its  modern  name  among  the  na- 
tives of  that  region  is  the  Sea  of  Lot.  It  is  about  forty 
milee  long  and  ten  broad,  and  receives  its  current  desigua- 


160  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

tion,  "  the  Dead  Sea,"  from  the  fact  that  there  is  no  verdure 
on  its  shores  and  no  life  in  its  waters,  which  are  acrid  and 
strongly  impregnated  with  mineral  salts. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  Jordan  lies  throughout 
its  whole  extent  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean. 
The  Lake  of  Gennesaret  is  700  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  the  Dead  Sea  1300  feet  below  the  same  level. 
There  is  thus  a  fall  of  600  feet  between  them,  while  the 
distance  is  but  sixty  miles  in  a  direct  line,  though  trebled 
by  the  tortuous  course  of  the  river.  The  depth  of  the  val- 
ley of  the  Jordan,  bordered  as  it  is  by  high  mountains, 
which  shelter  it  from  cooling  winds  and  concentrate  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  makes  its  climate  almost  tropical  and  its 
harvest  a  fortnight  earlier  than  in  the  highlands  to  the  east 
of  it ;  and  the  great  heat  in  the  basin  of  the  Dead  Sea  pro- 
duces an  evaporation  which  balances  the  influx  of  the 
Jordan. 

All  the  streams  of  the  land  west  of  the  Jordan  flow 
either  east  into  this  river  or  west  into  the  Mediterranean, 
and  the  watershed,  or  dividing  line  between  those  which  run 
in  one  direction  or  in  the  other,  lies  near  the  main  route, 
which  traverses  the  land  from  south  to  north,  and  passes 
through  its  principal  places,  Hebron,  Bethlehem,  Jerusalem, 
and  so  on  to  Nazareth.  The  line  which  separates  the  east- 
ern from  the  western  declivity  accordingly  runs  not  through 
the  centre  of  the  land,  but  considerably  nearer  its  eastern 
border,  making  the  western  slope  twice  as  long  as  the  east- 
ern, the  latter  being  in  the  same  proportion  more  precipi- 
tous. The  streams  which  fall  into  the  Jordan  are  conse- 
quently smaller  than  those  which  empty  into  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  partake  more  of  the  character  of  mountain  tor- 
rents. 

The  Shihor-libnath  (Josh.  xix.  26)  mentioned  in  the 
statement  of  the  boundaries  of  Asher  has  been  plausibly 
conjectured  to   be  the  Belus  of  classic  writers,  emptying 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  161 

near  the  town  of  Accho,  Upon  its  banks,  according  to 
Pliny  and  Tacitus,  glass  was  accidentally  discovered  by  the 
melting  of  its  sands.  According  to  some  eminent  author- 
ities, its  Hebrew  name  denotes  "the  glass  river." 

The  Kishon  drains  the  valley  of  Jezreel  and  empties  near 
the  foot  of  Mount  Carmel.  This  is  called  by  Deborah  "  that 
ancient  river,  the  river  Kishon,"  and  she  speaks  of  its 
sweeping  away  the  dead  bodies  of  Sisera's  host.  Judg.  v. 
21.  It  was  by  this  stream  that  Elijah  put  to  death  the 
prophets  of  Baal.  1  Kings  xviii.  40. 

The  streams  south  of  Carmel  are  more  insignificant  and 
of  less  note.  The  river  Kanah  (Josh.  xvi.  8),  or  "  brook 
of  reeds,"  is  only  mentioned  as  the  border  line  of  Eph- 
raim.  The  brook  Besor,  which  runs  south  of  Gaza,  was 
crossed  by  David  (1  Sam.  xxx.  9)  in  his  pursuit  of  the 
Amalekites  who  had  burned  Ziklag.  The  river  of  Egypt 
(Gen.  XV.  18)  is  the  last  of  these  streams,  and  marks  the 
southern  border  of  Palestine.  Its  modern  name  is  the 
wady  el-Arish. 

Of  the  trifling  streams  which  find  their  way  to  the  Jor- 
dan, the  only  ones  mentioned  in  Scripture  are  the  brook 
Cherith  (1  Kings  xvii.  3,  5),  where  Elijah  was  fed  by 
ravens,  and  which  Robinson  identifies  with  the  wady  Kelt, 
near  Jericho ;  the  waters  healed  by  Elisha  (2  Kings  ii.  21), 
also  in  the  vicinity  of  Jericho  ;  and  the  Kedron  (John  xviii. 
1),  which  rises  near  Jerusalem  and  empties  into  the  Dead 
Sea. 

On  the  east  of  the  Jordan  we  find  three  principal  streams. 
The  Jarmuk  or  Hieromax  is  nowhere  referred  to  in  the 
Bible.  The  Jabbok  separated  the  land  of  the  Amorites 
from  Bashan,  and  subsequently  the  territory  of  Gad  from 
that  of  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh ;  it  is  first  mentioned 
in  the  account  of  Jacob's  return  from  Mesopotamia,  and 
it  was  on  its  banks  that  he  wrestled  with  the  angel  and  pre- 
vailed. Gen.  xxxii,  12,     And  finally  we  have  the  Arnon, 

14* 


162  PBEPABING  TO  TEACH. 

which  empties  into  the  Dead  Sea  and  separated  Moab  on  the 
south  from  Ammon  on  the  north. 

Climate. 

The  year  is  divided  into  two  seasons,  the  winter,  or  more 
properly  the  cold  season,  extending  from  October  to  March, 
and  the  summer,  or  warm  season,  from  April  to  Septem- 
ber. During  the  latter  no  rain  falls,  but  the  dews  are  very 
copious.  Hence,  "rain  in  harvest"  is  spoken  of  (Prov. 
xxvi.  1)  as  something  quite  out  of  place,  and  "  thunder  and 
rain  in  wheat  harvest"  were  sent  by  miracle  at  the  prayer 
of  Samuel.  1  Sam.  xii.  17.  The  first  rain,  commonly  styled 
the  early  rain,  fell  in  October,  after  which  the  winter  crops, 
principally  wheat  and  barley,  were  sown.  Rain  was  thence- 
forward liable  to  occur  at  intervals  until  March  and  the 
beginning  of  April,  which  was  the  end  of  the  rainfall  for 
the  year,  and  was  accordingly  known  as  the  period  of  the 
latter  rain.  Snow  is  not  infrequent  from  December  to  Feb- 
ruary, though  in  Jerusalem  it  rarely  lies  longer  than  a  sin- 
gle day. 

The  winds  from  the  west  and  south-west,  coming  from  the 
Mediterranean,  were  charged  with  moisture,  and  brought 
showers  and  rain  (Luke  xii.  54) ;  the  east  wind,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  desert  region  over  which  it  passed,  was  dry 
and  withering  in  its  effect.  Hos.  xiii.  15.  The  south  wind, 
proceeding  from  the  warm  countries  of  that  quarter,  brought 
heat.  Luke  xii.  55.  The  hot  simoom  of  the  desert  appears 
to  be  alluded  to  (Ps.  xi.  6),  where  "  an  horrible  tempest"  is 
literally  "  a  burning  wind."  This  never  blows  in  Palestine, 
though  it  does  in  the  neighboring  desert  of  Arabia. 

The  extraordinary  fertility  of  Palestine  is  celebrated  not 
only  in  the  Bible  (Deut.  viii.  7-9),  where  it  is  repeatedly 
called  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  (Ex.  iii.  8),  but 
also  by  the  classic  writers  of  antiquity;  and  this  is  con- 
firmed by  the  population  which  it  once  supported.     In  the 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  163 

days  of  David  this  must  have  amounted  to  400  to  the 
square  mile ;  t:nd  according  to  Josephus,  the  population  was 
still  more  dense  in  his  time.  Its  present  condition  is  in 
lamentable  contrast  with  its  former  state.  The  land  has 
been  desolated  by  the  curse  of  centuries.  Property  has 
been  rendered  so  insecure  by  the  wars  which  have  raged 
there,  by  the  exactions  of  oppressive  rulers  and  by  the  in- 
cursions of  predatory  tribes,  that  large  portions  are  left 
waste  and  uncultivated.  And  by  the  neglect  of  ages  the 
soil  has  been  allowed  to  be  washed  from  the  hillsides  and 
other  exposed  situations,  until  the  fruitful  land  has  actually 
been  converted  into  barrenness.  Ps.  cvii.  34. 

Inhabitants  and  Civil  Divisions. 

"When  Israel  entered  Canaan,  it  was  held  by  seven  na- 
tions, the  Hittites,  Girgashites,  Amorites,  Canaanites,  Per- 
izzites,  Hivites  and  Jebusites.  Deut.  vii.  1.  In  Gen.  xv. 
19-21  ten  nations  are  spoken  of,  but  the  Kenites,  Keniz- 
zites  and  Kadmonites  may  have  been  subdivisions  of  one 
or  other  of  the  seven  already  mentioned.  These  various 
tribes,  which  were  descended  from  Canaan,  the  youngest  son 
of  Ham  (Gen.  x.  15,  jff.),  were  not,  however,  the  original 
occupants  of  the  land.  We  find  occasional  allusions  to  an 
antecedent  population,  which  from  their  powerful  frames 
and  great  stature  were  called  Eephaim  or  giants.  Gen. 
xiv.  5.  To  these  belonged  the  Anakim  (Num.  xiii.  33),  the 
Emims  (Deut.  ii.  10),  who  are  described  as  "  a  people  great 
and  many,  and  tall  as  the  Anakims,"  the  Horims  (ver.  12), 
the  Zamzummims  (ver.  20)  and  the  Avims.  ver.  23. 

The  Philistines,  who  resided  in  the  south-western  portion 
of  the  land,  belonged  to  a  diffei'ent  stratum  of  population 
from  either  of  the  preceding.  The  name  properly  means 
"emigrants"  or  "aliens."  They  were  descended,  not  from 
Canaan,  but  from  Mizraim,  another  son  of  Ham.  Gen.  x. 
14.     According  to  Amof  ix.  7,  they  came  from  Caphtor, 


164  PREPARING  TO   TEACH. 

(which  has  been  variously  identified  with  Cappadocia,  with 
the  island  of  Crete  and  with  a  portion  of  Egypt),  and  seized 
upon  the  territory  previously  possessed  by  the  Avims  (Deut. 
ii.  23)  in  the  region  of  Azza — that  is,  Gaza.  The  Philis- 
tines are  spoken  of  as  early  as  the  time  of  Abraham  (Gen. 
xxi.  34)  and  Isaac  (Gen.  xxvi.  1)  in  the  region  of  Beer- 
sheba  and  Gerar;  also  at  the  time  of  the  Exodus  as  hold- 
ing the  direct  route  from  Egypt  to  Palestine.  They  were 
not  conquered  by  Joshua,  and  he  does  not  even  seem  to 
have  come  into  collision  with  them,  as  they  are  not  men- 
tioned in  any  of  his  battles.  They  are  but  once  referred  to 
in  the  book  of  Joshua  (xiii.  2,  3),  and  that  simply  as  a  peo- 
ple to  be  subdued.  In  the  period  of  the  Judges  they  for  a 
time  gained  the  ascendency  over  Israel,  until  their  power 
was  broken  by  Samuel  (1  Sam.  vii.  13),  and  they  were  still 
further  humbled  by  Saul  and  by  David.  They  were  not 
exterminated,  however,  and  we  hear  of  them  in  the  reigns 
of  the  later  kings  as  sometimes  tributary  and  sometimes 
making  incursions  and  predatory  forays.  They  are  once 
spoken  of  by  Zechariah  (ix.  6)  after  the  return  from  the 
Babylonish  exile,  but  from  that  time  they  vanish  out  of 
history. 

When  Israel  took  possession  of  Canaan,  two  tribes  and  a 
half  were  settled  east  of  the  Jordan,  viz.,  Keuben  on  the 
south.  Gad  in  the  middle  and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh 
on  the  north.  The  other  nine  and  a  half  tribes  were 
located  west  of  the  Jordan ;  Judah,  Simeon,  Dan  and  Ben- 
jamin w^ere  in  the  south ;  Ephraim,  Issachar  and  the  other 
half  of  Manasseh  were  in  the  middle  or  central  portion 
of  the  land;  Zebulun,  Asher  and  Naphtali  were  in  the 
north.  The  tribe  of  Levi  had  no  separate  inheritance  in 
the  land,  but  forty-eight  cities,  with  their  suburbs,  were  as- 
signed to  them  in  the  territory  of  the  other  tribes.  Josh.  xxi. 

This  partition  among  the  tribes  was,  at  the  time  of  the 
Bchism  of  Jeroboam,  superseded  by  another,  or  rather  a 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  165 

fresh  division  of  yet  greater  political  importance  was  super- 
induced upon  it,  viz.,  that  into  two  rival  and  often  hostile 
kingdoms.  Ten  tribes  adhered  to  the  northern  section, 
which  was  called  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  and  sometimes 
the  kingdom  of  Ephraim,  from  the  preponderance  of  that 
powerful  tribe.  Judah  and  Benjamin  adhered  to  the  south- 
ern, which  was  called  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 

Under  the  Romans  and  in  the  times  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment the  current  division  was  into  Judea,  Samaria  and 
Galilee  on  the  west  of  Jordan,  and  Perea  on  the  east  of 
Jordan.  The  name  Perea  does  not  occur  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, but  it  is  referred  to  as  the  region  beyond  Jordan. 
Matt.  iv.  25. 


LESSOJ^  IIL 
CITIES. 


The  cities,  towns  and  villages  of  Palestine  may  be  con- 
veniently grouped  in  four  lines  from  north  to  south,  corre- 
sponding to  the  main  physical  features  of  the  country  as 
already  described.  Omitting  those  which  are  rarely  men- 
tioned in  the  Bible,  or  which  are  of  little  consequence,  we 
shall  give  a  cursory  view  of  the  principal  places  situated — 
1.  On  the  plain  along  the  sea-coast ;  2.  On  the  central  high- 
lands west  of  the  Jordan ;  3.  In  the  plain  of  the  Jordan ; 
4.  On  the  highlands  east  of  the  Jordan. 

Cities  near  the  Sea-coast. 

Proceeding  from  the  north  southward,  we  first  come  to 
three  cities  commonly  reckoned  as  belonging  to  Phenicia 
rather  than  to  Palestine,  viz. : 

Zidon  or  Sidon,  which  was  assigned  to  Asher,  though 
never  conquered  and  occupied  Sy  that  tribe.  Judg.  i.  31. 


166  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

Zarephath  or  Sarepta,  tlie  village  where  Elijah  was  nour- 
ished by  the  widow.  1  Kings  xvii.  9 ;  Luke  iv.  26. 

Tyre  was  founded  by  a  colony  from  Zidon,  which  in  the 
time  of  Joshua  still  maintained  its  original  superiority,  and 
is  hence  called  "  great  Ziaon "  (Josh.  xi.  8 ;  xix.  29) ;  but 
by  the  days  of  David  and  Solomon,  Tyre  had  outstripped 
the  mother  city,  and  had  become  the  capital  of  Phenicia. 
1  Kings  V.  1,6.  Tyre  was  famous  in  antiquity  not  only  for 
its  extensive  trade,  but  for  the  sieges  which  it  sustained. 
Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria,  besieged  it  for  five  years 
without  being  able  to  reduce  it.  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of 
Babylon,  besieged  it  for  thirteen  years.  Alexander  the 
Great  reduced  it  after  a  siege  of  seven  months.  The  city 
has  long  since  ceased  to  exist,  and  is,  as  was  predicted,  a 
place  for  the  spreading  of  nets.  Ezek.  xxvi.  5. 

Accho  lay  across  the  bay  from  Mount  Carmel.  It  be- 
longed to  the  tribe  of  Asher,  though  it  was  not  conquered 
by  them.  Judg.  i.  31.  In  the  New  Testament  it  is  called 
Ptoleraais,  and  is  mentioned  in  the  travels  of  the  apostle 
Paul.  Acts  xxi.  7.  Under  its  modern  name.  Acre,  it  was 
famous  in  the  history  of  the  Crusaders,  and  was  held  by 
them  for  some  time  after  the  rest  of  Palestine  had  been 
abandoned. 

South  of  the  promontory  of  Carmel  we  find  Csesarea, 
so  called  by  Herod  in  honor  of  Augustus  Caesar,  and  com- 
monly known  as  Caesarea  Palsestina,  to  distinguish  it  from 
Caesarea  Philippi,  which  lay  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Hermon, 
near  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  and  was  so  called  from 
Philip,  the  tetrarch  of  that  region  (Luke  iii.  1),  who  named 
it  Csesarea  in  honor  of  Tiberias  Csesar.  Csesarea  Philippi 
is  mentioned  in  our  Lord's  history  (Matt.  xvi.  13 ;  Mark 
viii.  27),  as  he  was  once  in  its  vicinity.  Caesarea  of  Pales- 
tine is  spoken  of  repeatedly  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 
The  evangelist  Philip,  one  of  the  seven  original  deacons, 
resided  there  (Acts  viii.  40 ;  xxi.  8),  so  did  Cornelius  the 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  167 

centurion  (Acts  x.  1);  here  Herod  Agrippa  came  to  his 
miserable  end  (Acts  xii.  13,  fF.),  and  it  is  several  times  men- 
tioned in  the  narrative  both  of  Paul's  travels  and  of  his 
imprisonment,  being  the  residence  of  the  Roman  governors 
of  Judea. 

Autipatris  is  the  place  to  which  Paul  was  sent  by  the 
chief  captain  of  Jerusalem  on  his  way  to  Csesarea  after  his 
arrest.  Acts  xxiii.  31. 

Joppa  or  Japho  (Josh.  xix.  46)  lay  in  the  border  of  the 
territory  assigned  to  Dan.  The  cedars  of  Lebanon  were 
conveyed  by  sea  to  this  place  for  building  Solomon's  tem- 
ple (2  Ghron.  ii.  16),  and  again  after  the  exile  for  building 
the  second  temple.  Ezra  iii.  7.  Jonah  took  ship  from  Joppa 
when  fleeing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  Jon.  i.  3. 
Peter  here  restored  Tabitha  to  life  (Acts  ix.  36,  ff*.),  and  he 
saw  here  the  vision  of  the  sheet  let  down  from  heaven. 
Acts  X. 

Lydda  or  Lod  (Neh.  xi.  35)  lay  in  the  vicinity  of  Joppa, 
on  the  road  to  Jerusalem  ;  here  Peter  restored  Eneas.  Acts 
ix.  32,  ff. 

The  neighboring  Kamleh  is  by  many  regarded  as  the 
Arimathea  of  the  New  Testament  (Matt,  xxvii.  57)  and  the 
Ramathaim-Zophim  of  1  Sam.  i.  19,  also  often  called  Ra- 
mah,  where  the  prophet  Samuel  was  born,  lived  and  died, 
though  their  identity  is  disputed. 

Then  follow  the  five  cities  of  the  Philistines  (1  Sam.  vi. 
17),  which  may  be  traced  in  a  circuit  in  alphabetical  order  • 
Ashkelon,  Ashdod,  Ekron,  Gath,  Gaza. 

Cities  of  the  Western  Highland. 

These  are  mostly  situated  on  the  crest  which  divides  the 
eastern  from  the  western  declivity,  or  the  waters  flowing 
east  from  those  flowing  west,  the  summits  having  been  built 
upon  because  they  were  the  most  impregnable  and  easily 
defensible  positions.     This  too  is  the  main  traveled  route 


1-68  PBEPABING   TO   TEACH. 

from  south  to  north.     Beginning  at  the  south  and  proceed- 
ing northward,  we  come  first  to — 

Ziklag,  in  the  southern  boundary  of  Judah,  according  to 
the  original  apportionment  (Josh.  xv.  31),  afterward  trans- 
ferred to  Simeon  (Josh.  xix.  5),  presented  to  David  by 
Achish,  king  of  Gath  (1  Sam.  xxvii.  6),  and  sacked  by  the 
Amalekites,  whom  David  chastised  in  consequence.  1  Sam, 
XXX.  David  was  in  Ziklag  at  the  time  of  Saul's  death. 
2  Sam.  i.  1. 

Beersheba  received  its  name  from  Abraham  (Gen.  xxi.  31), 
and  is  repeatedly  mentioned  in  the  sojournings  of  the  patri- 
archs ;  from  the  sacredness  thus  attached  to  it,  it  became  one  of 
the  chief  seats  of  idolatry,  and  is  so  spoken  of  by  the  prophet 
Amos.  V.  5 ;  viii.  4.  It  lay  near  the  southern  border  of  Pales- 
tine, as  did  Dan  near  the  northern ;  whence  the  phrase  "from 
Dan  to  Beersheba"  (Judg.  xx.  1)  denoted  the  entire  land. 

Hebron,  called  by  the  Canaanites  Kirjath-arba  or  city 
of  Arba  (Josh.  iv.  15),  was  for  some  time  the  abode  of 
Abraham.  Gen.  xiii.  18.  Here,  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah, 
Abraham  and  Sarah  were  buried,  as  well  as  Isaac  and  Re- 
bekah,  Jacob  and  Leah.  Gen.  xlix.  31.  In  the  division 
of  the  land  it  was  given  to  Caleb  as  his  possession  (Josh. 
xiv.  14),  and  was  one  of  the  cities  of  refuge  west  of  the 
Jordan  (Josh.  xx.  7),  the  other  two  being  Shechem,  in  the 
centre  of  the  land,  and  Kedesh,  in  the  north.  David  reigned 
here  over  Judah  seven  years  and  six  months  (2  Sam.  ii.  11), 
and  was  here  anointed  king  over  all  Israel  (2  Sam.  v.  3), 
after  which  he  transferred  his  capital  to  Jerusalem.  It  was 
at  Hebron  that  Absalom  began  his  rebellion.     2  Sam.  xv.  10. 

Bethlehem,  also  called  Ephrath  and  Bethlehem-judah,  to 
distinguish  it  from  another  Bethlehem  of  little  note  in  the 
tribe  of  Zebulun.  Near  this  place  Rachel  was  buried. 
Gen.  XXXV.  19.  Here  Elimelech  and  Naomi  lived  (Ruth 
i.  1),  and  hither  Naomi  returned  with  Ruth  after  a  tempo- 
rary sojourn  in  the  land  of  Moab  (Ruth  i.  22),  and  here 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  169 

David  was  born.  1  Sam.  xvii.  12.  But  Bethlehem  is 
chiefly  distinguished  as  the  birthplace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  (Matt.  ii.  1),  agreeably  to  the  prophecy  of  Micah. 
V.  2. 

Jerusalem,  originally  called  Salem  (Gen.  xiv.  18),  and 
during  the  Jebusite  occupation  Jebus  (Judg.  xix.  10),  was 
made  by  David  the  capital  of  his  kingdom  and  the  relig- 
ious centre  of  the  nation  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Jebusites. 
2  Sam.  V.  6-9. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Jerusalem,  toward  the  east,  lay 
Bethany,  the  residence  of  Lazarus  and  his  sisters  (John 
xi,  18) ;  Nob,  where  Ahimelech  the  priest  gave  David  the 
shew-bread  and  the  sword  of  Goliath  (1  Sam.  21),  in  con- 
sequence of  which  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  were  put 
to  death  by  Saul;  and  Anathoth,  a  city  of  the  priests 
within  the  limits  of  Benjamin  (Josh.  xxi.  18),  to  which 
Abiathar  w^as  banished  by  King  Solomon  (1  Kings  ii.  26), 
and  where  the  prophet  Jeremiah  was  born.  Jer.  i.  1. 

To  the  west  of  Jerusalem  lay  Mizpeh,  where  the  children 
of  Israel  assembled  themselves  before  the  Lord,  when  they 
went  up  to  war  against  Benjamin  (Judg.  xx.  1  ;  xxi.  1), 
where  Samuel  gained  his  great  victory  over  the  Philistines 
(1  Sam.  vii,  10),  and  where  Saul  was  chosen  king  (1  Sam. 
ii.  17,  ff.);  Emmaus,  whither  our  Lord  walked  with  two 
disciples  after  his  resurrection  (Luke  xxiv.  13),  and  which 
should  not  be  confounded  with  another  Emmaus,  also  called 
Nicopolis,  on  the  road  to  Lydda  and  Joppa,  which  is  no- 
where mentioned  in  the  Old  or  New  Testament,  though  it  is 
in  the  Apocrypha  and  by  Joseph  us ;  and  Gibeon,  whose  in- 
habitants made  peace  with  Joshua  by  a  stratagem  (Josh.  ix. 
3),  and  which  was  subsequently  a  city  of  the  priests  (Josh. 
xxi.  17),  and  where  the  tabernacle  of  Moses  was  tempo- 
rarily located.   2  Chron.  i.  3. 

Again  proceeding  northward  from  Jerusalem  by  the 
main  route,  we  come  to — 

15 


170  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

Gibeah,  called  also  Gibeah  of  Benjamin  and  Gibeah  of 
Saul,  to  distinguish  it  from  other  places  of  this  name  in 
different  parts  of  the  land.  Here  the  crime  was  committed 
in  the  period  of  the  judges  which  led  to  the  almost  total 
extinction  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  Judg.  ch.  xix,  xx. 
Here  King  Saul  resided  (1  Sam.  x.  26),  and  here  seven  of 
Saul's  descendants  were  executed  to  appease  the  Gibeonites. 
2  Sam.  xxi.  6. 

Eamah  was  near  Gibeah  (Judg.  xix.  13),  and  was  forti- 
fied by  Baasha,  king  of  Israel,  as  a  border  city  between  the 
two  kingdoms.  1  Kings  xv.  17.  This  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  the  Ramah  where  the  prophet  Samuel  lived,  which 
has  not  been  certainly  identified,  though  it  may  have  been 
the  same  with  the  modern  Ramleh. 

Beeroth,  in  the  Canaanitish  period  subject  to  Gibeon 
(Josh.  ix.  17) ;  the  murderers  of  Ishbosheth,  the  son  of 
Saul,  were  natives  of  this  place.  2  Sam.  iv.  2. 

Bethel,  originally  called  Luz,  where  God  appeared  twice 
to  Jacob  (Gen.  xxviii.  11,  ff. ;  xxxv.  15),  and  where  the  ark 
was  kept  temporarily.  Judg.  xx.  26,  27.  ["The  house  of 
God  "  (ver.  26)  is  properly  "  Bethel."]  It  was  one  of  the 
places  where  the  prophet  Samuel  judged.  1  Sam.  vii.  16. 
The  worship  of  the  golden  calves  was  set  up  here  and  at 
Dan,  in  the  north  of  the  land,  by  Jeroboam  (1  Kings  xii. 
28,  29) ;  the  idolatry  of  Bethel  was  finally  abolished  by 
Josiah.  2  Kings  xxiii.  15. 

Shiloh,  where  the  ark  and  the  tabernacle  remained  from 
the  time  of  Joshua  (Josh,  xviii.  1)  to  that  of  Samuel.  1 
Sam.  iv.  4. 

Shechem,  spoken  of  several  times  in  the  history  of  the 
patriarchs,  a  Levitical  city  and  a  city  of  refuge.  Josh.  xxi. 
21.  Here  Joshua  delivered  his  last  address  to  the  people. 
Josh.  xxiv.  1.  Jeroboam  made  it  his  residence  after  the 
schism.  1  Kings  xii.  25.  In  John  (iv.  5)  it  is  called  Sychar ; 
it  was  there  that  our  Lord  conversed  with  the  woman  of 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  171 

Samaria  beside  Jacob's  well.  It  was  subsequently  called 
Neapolis,  and  in  modern  times  this  has  been  corrupted  to 
Nablus. 

Samaria,  built  by  Omri,  king  of  Israel  (1  Kings  xvi.  24), 
from  which  time  it  was  the  capital  of  the  ten  tribes,  until 
the  kingdom  was  finally  overthrown  by  Shalmaneser,  king 
of  Assyria.  2  Kings  xviii.  9,  10. 

Jezreel,  which  gives  name  to  the  valley  on  the  edge  of 
which  it  lies.  Here  Ahab  had  a  palace,  here  was  the  vine- 
yard of  Naboth  which  Ahab  coveted  (1  Kings  xxi.  1),  and 
here  King  Joram,  Jezebel  and  the  whole  house  of  Ahab 
were  slain  by  Jehu.  2  Kings  ch.  ix.,  x. 

A  short  distance  westward  in  the  valley  is  Megiddo, 
where  King  Josiah  was  slain  in  battle  with  Pharaoh-necho, 
king  of  Egypt.  2  Kings  xxiii.  29. 

Shunem,  where  the  Philistines  encamped  against  Saul 
prior  to  his  last  battle  (1  Sam.  xxviii.  4),  and  where  the 
woman  lived  who  entertained  Elisha,  and  whose  son  he 
raised  from  the  dead.  2  Kings  iv.  8. 

Nain,  where  our  Lord  restored  the  widow's  son.  Luke 
vii.  11. 

Endor,  where  Saul  consulted  the  woman  with  a  familiar 
spirit.  1  Sam.  xxviii.  7. 

Nazareth,  where  our  Lord's  childhood  was  passed.  Luke 
iv.  16. 

Gath-hepher,  the  residence  of  the  prophet  Jonah.  2  Kings 
xiv.  25. 

Cana,  where  our  Lord^s  first  miracle  was  wrought.  John 
ii.  1. 

Kedesh,  a  Levitical  city  and  a  city  of  refuge  (Josh.  xxi. 
32),  and  the  residence  of  Barak.  Judg.  iv.  6. 

Cities  in  the  Plain  of  the  Jordan. 
Beginning  in  the  north  and  proceeding  southward  we  find — 
Dan.  also  called  Laish  or  Leshem,  first  mentioned  in  the 


172  PREPARING   TO  TEACH. 

life  of  Abraham  (Gen.  xiv.  14),  taken  possession  of  by  a 
party  of  Danites,  though  the  proper  territory  of  their  tribe 
lay  in  the  south  of  the  land.  Josh.  xix.  47  ;  Judg.  xviii.  29. 
It  was  one  of  the  chief  seats  of  the  worship  of  the  golden 
calves  established  by  Jeroboam.  1  Kings  xii.  29. 

Csesarea  Philippi,  already  spoken  of  as  distinguished  from 
Csesarea  Pal?estina  on  the  coast. 

Then  follow  several  places  on  the  shores  of  the  Lake  of 
Gennesaret  familiar  from  the  history  of  our  Lord's  min- 
istry— Chorazin,  Bethsaida,  Capernaum  (Matt.  xi.  21,  23), 
Magdala  (Matt.  xv.  39),  Dalmanutha  (Mark  viii.  10), 
Tiberias  (John  vi.  23),  and,  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake, 
Gadara.  Luke  viii.  26. 

Beth-shan,  where  SauFs  body  was  fastened  to  the  wall 
of  the  town,  and  thus  publicly  exposed  by  the  Philistines. 
1  Sam.  xxxi.  10.  Its  later  name,  Scythopolis,  has  been 
thought  to  confirm  the  statement  of  Herodotus  that  the 
Scythians  once  made  an  irruption  into  this  region. 

Bethabara,  where  John  baptized  (John  i.  28),  probably 
the  same  as  Beth-barah  (Judg.  vii.  24),  where  Gideon 
checked  the  Midianites  at  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan. 

Jericho,  also  called  the  city  of  palm  trees  (Deut.  xxxiv. 
3),  was  the  first  city  taken  by  Joshua.  Josh.  ch.  vi.  The 
curse  pronounced  on  him  who  should  rebuild  the  walls 
miraculously  thrown  down  (Josh.  vi.  2S)  was  fulfilled  upon 
Hiel  the  Bethelite,  1  Kings  xvi.  34.  Sons  or  pupils  of  the 
prophets  were  residing  in  Jericho  in  the  time  of  Elijah  and 
Elisha  (2  Kings  ii.  5)  ;  here  Elisha  healed  the  fountain  by 
casting  in  salt  (2  Kings  ii.  21);  here  King  Zedekiah  was  over- 
taken when  attempting  to  flee  from  the  Chaldeans  (2  Kings 
XXV.  5) ;  here  our  Lord  was  the  guest  of  Zaccheus  (Luke  xix. 
1-5)  and  cured  the  blindness  of  Bartimeus.  Luke  xviii.  35. 

Gilgal  was  the  first  encampment  of  Israel  in  the  promised 
land.  Josh.  iv.  19.  Sacrifices  were  offered  here  by  Samuel 
(1  Sam.  x.  8;  xi.  15)  and  by  Saul.  1  Sam.  xiii.  7-9.    This 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  173 

was  one  of  the  places  of  Samuel's  judgment.  1  Sam.  vii.  16. 
Agag,  king  of  the  Amalekites,  was  here  hewed  to  death  by- 
Samuel  before  the  Lord.  1  Sam.  xv.  33.  Judah  came  to 
Gilgal  to  meet  King  David  returning  after  the  death  of 
Absalom.  2  Sam.  xix.  16.  It  is  also  mentioned  in  the  life  of 
Elijah  (2  Kings  ii.  1),  and  was  the  scene  of  one  of  Elisha's 
miracles.  2  Kings  iv.  38.  There  was  another  Gilgal  in  the 
vicinity  of  Antipatris,  to  which  it  has  been  supposed  by 
several  scholars  that  some  of  these  events  are  to  be  referred. 

En-gedi  lay  on  the  western  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea.  David 
concealed  himself  in  the  adjacent  wilderness  when  pursued 
by  Saul.  1  Sam.  xxiv.  1.  Here  Ammon,  Moab  and  Edom 
combined  against  Jehoshaphat  when  he  gained  his  signal 
victory  over  them.  2  Chrou.  xx.  2. 

The  Dead  Sea  covers  the  sites  of  the  cities  of  the  plain 
w^hich  God  overthrew  by  fire  from  heaven — Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  Admah  and  Zeboim.  Deut.  xxix.  23.  Zoar  was 
spared  at  Lot's  intercession  when  the  rest  were  consumed. 
Gen.  xix.  21,  22. 

Kadesh-barnea  was  on  the  southern  border  of  Palestine. 
Num.  xxxiv.  4.  It  was  from  this  place  the  spies  were  sent 
■who  brought  back  an  evil  report  of  the  land.  Num.  xiii.  26. 
Here  Miriam  died  (Num.  xx.  1)  and  Moses  and  Aaron 
committed  the  trespass  which  excluded  them  from  the 
promised  land.  Num.  xx.  12. 

Cities  East  of  the  Jordan. 

Beginning  in  the  south  and  proceeding  northward — 
Machserus  was  a  strong  fortress  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  which 
is  not  named  in  the  Bible,  but  where,  according  to  Jose- 
phus,  John  the  Baptist  was  imprisoned  and  executed. 

Ramoth-gilead,  a  Levitical  city  (Josh.  xxi.  38),  and  one 

of  the  three  cities  of  refuge  east  of  the  Jordan  (Josh.  xx. 

8),  the  other  two  being  Bezer  in  the  south  and  Golan  in 

the  north.     Here  Ahab  was  slain  in  battle  by  the  Syrians 

(1    Kings   xxii.    29-34J,   Joram,    the   son    of   Ahab,   was 
16* 


174  PREPABINQ  TO  TEACH. 

wounded  (2  Kings  viii.  28),  and  Jehu  was  anointed  king 
over  Israel  by  Elisha's  direction.  2  Kings  ix.  1,  2. 

Mahanaim,  where  Jacob  was  met  by  the  angels  of  God 
as  he  was  returning  to  Canaan  from  Padan-aram  (Gen. 
xxxii.  2),  where  Isbbosheth,  Saul's  son,  was  made  king  in 
opposition  to  David  (2  Sam.  ii.  8),  and  whither  David  fled 
when  pursued  by  Absalom.  2  Sam.  xvii.  24. 

Jabesh-gilead,  from  which  wives  were  taken  for  the  rem- 
nant of  Benjamin  in  the  general  massacre  of  the  tribe. 
Judg.  xxi.  14.  It  was  threatened  by  the  Ammonites  and 
relieved  by  Saul.  1  Sam.  xi.  1-11.  Its  inhabitants  took  the 
bodies  of  Saul  and  his  sons  from  the  scene  of  their  shame- 
ful exposure  by  the  Philistines,  and  buried  them.  1  Sam. 
xxxi.  11-13. 


LUSSOJr  IV. 
OTHEK  BIBLE  LANDS. 


Antediluvian  geography  embraces  the  garden  of  Eden 
(Gen.  ii.  8,  if.),  with  its  four  rivers,  the  Pison,  which  com- 
passed the  land  of  Havilah,  the  Gihon^  which  compassed 
the  land  of  Cush,*  the  Hiddekel  and  the  Euphrates ;  also 
the  land  of  Nod  (Gen.  iv.  19),  to  which  Cain  was  banished, 
and  the  city  of  Enoch  (ver.  17),  built  by  him,  None  of 
these  can  be  certainly  identified  at  the  present  time,  except 
the  two  rivers  the  Euphrates  and  the  Hiddekel,  which  is 
the  Hebrew  name  for  the  Tigris.  Dan.  x.  4. 

After  the  flood  the  ark  rested  upon  the  mountains  of 
Ararat  (Gen.  viii.  4),  which  is  not  in  the  Bible  the  name 
of  a  single  peak,  but  of  the  high  table-land  of  Armenia 

^  See  the  margin  of  the  English  version.  It  is  not  the  Ethiopia 
known  to  later  history  which  is  intended,  but  some  region  now  un- 
known, which  was  occupied  by  Cush  (Gen.  x.  7),  or  a  portion  of  his 
descendants. 


OEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  175 

(2  Kings  xix.  37 ;  Jer.  li.  27),  which  contains  the  sources 
of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris.  On  the  banks  of  the  former, 
in  the  lower  portion  of  its  course,  lay  the  land  of  Shinar 
(Gen.  xi.  2),  where  the  tower  of  Babel  was  built,  whose 
site  was  subsequently  enclosed  in  the  great  city  of  Babylon. 
In  the  days  of  Abraham  the  king  of  Shinar,  with  others, 
invaded  Canaan.  Gen.  xiv.  1.  A  goodly  Babylonish  gar- 
ment is  mentioned  among  the  spoils  of  the  city  of  Jericho 
when  it  was  taken  by  Joshua.  Josh.  vii.  21.  Babylon 
reached  its  greatest  splendor  and  the  height  of  its  power 
under  Nebuchadnezzar  (Dan.  iv.  30),  by  whom  Jerusalem 
was  destroyed  and  Judah  carried  into  captivity.  Its  superb 
palaces  and  other  structures,  and  the  vast  compass  and 
height  of  its  walls,  made  it  the  wonder  of  the  world.  After 
its  capture  by  Cyrus  (Isa.  xlv.  1)  it  gradually  declined 
until  it  became  an  utter  desolation.  Isa.  xiii.  19,  ff.  The 
cities  of  Erech,  Accad  and  Calneh  (or  Calno,  Isa.  x.  9), 
which,  with  Babel,  formed  the  beginning  of  Nimrod's  king- 
dom, were  also  in  the  laud  of  Shinar.  Gen.  x.  10.  So  was 
the  plain  of  Dura  (Dan.  iii.  1),  where  Nebuchadnezzar  set 
up  his  golden  image. 

Nineveh,  the  capital  of  Assyria,  an  exceeding  great  city 
of  three  days'  journey  (Jon.  iii.  3),  lay  on  the  eastern  bank 
of  the  Tigris.  Rehoboth,  Calah  and  Resen  (Gen.  x.  11, 
12)  were  in  the  same  vicinity.  Cuthah,  Ava  (or  Ivah), 
Sepharvaim  (2  Kings  xvii.  24)  and  Hena  (xix.  13)  were 
on  or  near  the  Euphrates,  and  subject  to  the  king  of 
Assyria. 

Media  is  in  the  Bible  commonly  associated  with  Persia, 
to  which  it  was  united  under  Cyrus  and  his  successors. 
Dan.  V.  28 ;  Esth.  i.  3.  The  captive  Israelites  were  located 
by  the  king  of  Assyria  in  the  cities  of  the  Medes,  and  by 
Habor,  the  river  of  Gozan.  2  Kings  xvii.  6.  Whether  this 
is  the  same  as  the  river  Chebar  (Ezek.  iii.  15),  where  the 
captives  of  Judah  were  subsequently  settled,  is  disputed. 


176  PREPARING  TO  TEACH. 

The  capital  of  Media  was  Achmetha  (Ezra  vi.  2),  or 
Ecbatana ;  this  was  the  royal  residence  of  Cyrus,  where, 
accordingly,  the  official  records  of  his  reign  were  preserved,, 
Elam  was  at  first  an  independent  kingdom  (Gen.  xiv.  1), 
but  was  afterward  incorporated  in  the  Persian  empire. 
Its  chief  city,  Shushan,  near  the  river  Ulai  (Dan.  viii.  2), 
was  the  residence  of  Darius  and  the  later  Persian  kings. 
Parthians  are  mentioned  (Acts  ii.  9),  along  with  Medes  and 
Elamites,  as  present  in  Jerusalem  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
India  is  once  mentioned  in  the  Bible  (Esth.  i.  1),  and  it  has 
even  been  conjectured  that  China  is  referred  to  under  the 
name  of  Sinim.  Isa.  xlix.  12. 

The  district  between  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates,  north  of 
Babylonia,  is  known  as  Mesopotamia  (Gen.  xi.  10),  or 
Padan-aram.  Gen.  xxv.  20.  Here  was  Haran  (Gen.  xi.  31), 
to  which  Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham,  removed  from  Ur 
of  the  Chaldees,  which  some  likewise  place  in  this  same 
region,  though  others,  with  greater  probability,  seek  for  it 
further  south,  in  Chaldea  proper  or  Babylonia.  Pethor,  the 
native  place  of  Balaam,  was  in  Mesopotamia.  Deut.  xxiii.  4. 
So  was  Carchemish  on  the  Euphrates,  where  Nebuchadnezzar 
gained  a  victory  over  Pharaoh-necho.  2  Chron.  xxxv.  20 ; 
Jer.  xlvi.  2. 

Padan-aram,  literally,  the  plain  of  Aram,  is  a  part  of 
the  territory  called  Aram  (Num.  xxiii.  7),  or  Syria,  in  the 
Old  Testament,  where  this  term  is  used  in  its  widest  sense 
as  extending  from  Lebanon  to  the  Tigris.  Hence  Bethuel 
and  Laban  are  called  Syrians  because  they  resided  in 
Padan-aram.  Gen.  xxv.  20.  More  commonly  the  term  is 
restricted  to  the  territory  west  of  the  Euphrates ;  and  so 
understood,  it  was  in  the  time  of  Saul  and  David  divided 
into  several  minor  states  or  kingdoms,  as  Bethrehob,  Zobah, 
Maacah  (2  Sam.  x.  6),  Geshur  (2  Sam.  xiii.  37  ;  xv.  8) 
and  Damascus.  2  Sam.  viii.  6.  Tiphsah,  on  the  Euphrates, 
is  spoken  of  (1  Kings  iv.  24)  as  marking  the  eastern  limit 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  177 

of  Solomon's  dominions.  Tadmor,  built  by  Solomon  in  the 
wilderness,  is  known  in  later  times  as  Palmyra.  Damascus, 
in  a  fertile  plain  watered  by  the  Abana  and  Pharpar  (2 
Kings  V.  12),  is  at  least  as  old  as  the  time  of  Abraham. 
Gen.  XV.  2.  It  was  subdued  by  David  (2  Sara.  viii.  6),  but 
recovered  its  independence  under  Solomon  (1  Kings  xi.  24), 
and  was  subsequently  the  capital  of  a  formidable  power. 
To  this  city  Paul  was  going  at  the  time  of  his  conversion 
(Acts  ix.  3),  and  he  lodged  there  in  the  street  which  was 
called  Straight.  It  was  at  this  time  subject  to  Aretas,  an 
Arabian  knig.  2  Cor.  xii.  32.  Antioch,  on  the  river  Orontes, 
was  the  city  where  the  disciples  were  first  called  Christians 
(Acts  xi.  26),  and  from  which  the  apostle  Paul  set  forth  on 
his  missionary  journeys.  Its  seaport  Avars  Seleucia,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  whence  Paul  and  Barnabas  sailed  for 
Cyprus.  Hamath,  called  by  the  prophet  Amos  (vi.  2) 
Hamath  the  Great,  was  situated  on  the  Orontes,  about  mid- 
way between  Antioch  and  the  source  of  the  river.  The 
entrance  of  Hamath,  repeatedly  mentioned  as  the  limit  of 
the  promised  land  (Num.  xxxiv.  8 ;  1  Kings  viii.  65),  is 
either  a  stream  or  depression  by  which  Hamath  was  readily 
reached  from  the  sea-coast.  Still  higher  on  the  Orontes 
was  Riblah,  in  the  land  of  Hamath,  where  Jehoahaz  was 
put  in  chains  by  the  king  of  Egypt  (2  Kings  xxiii.  33), 
and  the  eyes  of  Zedekiah  were  put  out  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 
2  Kings  XXV.  7. 

We  shall  now  pass  from  countries  east  of  Palestine  to 
those  which  lay  south  of  it.  South  of  the  territory  of 
Israel,  east  of  the  Jordan,  and  separated  from  it  by  the  Ar- 
non,  lay  the  land  of  Moab,  with  its  cities  Kir  of  Moab  and 
Ar  of  Moab  (Isa.  xv.  1) ;  the  former  was  also  called  Kir- 
hareseth.  Isa.  xvi.  7.  The  southern  limit  of  Moab  was  the 
brook  or  valley  of  Jared.  Num.  xxi.  12.  Next  follows  the 
mountainous  district  of  Edom  or  Idumea,  also  called  Mount 
Seir,  which  extends  to  the  northern  extremity  of  the  Red  Sea. 


x78  'PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

Mount  Hor,  where  Aaron  died  (Num.  xx.  23),  is  one  of  its 
most  conspicuous  summits.  Its  ports,  Ezion-geber  and  Elath, 
are  first  mentioned  at  the  time  of  the  Exodus.  Deut.  ii.  8.  In 
the  former  Solomon  built  his  navy  of  ships  for  foreign  trade. 
1  Kings  ix.  26.  The  latter,  having  been  in  the  possession  of 
Judah  from  the  conquest  of  Edom  by  David  (2  Sam.  viii.  14) 
till  its  revolt  in  the  reign  of  Joram  '(2  Kings  viii.  22),  was 
again  restored  to  Judah  and  fortified  by  Uzziah  (2  Kings  xix. 
22),  though  it  at  a  later  period  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Syr- 
ians. 2  Kings  xvi.  6.  Bozrah,  near  its  northern  border  (Gen. 
xxxvi.  33 ;  Isa.  xxxiv.  6),  and  Sela  (Isa.  xxxiv.  6)  were  its 
principal  cities.  Sela  was  taken  by  King  Amaziah,  and  called 
by  him  Joktheel  (2  Kings  xiv.  7)  ;  at  a  later  time  it  was  the 
residence  of  the  Nabathean  king  Aretas.  2  Cor.  xi.  32.  It 
is  the  same  as  the  Roman  Petra,  from  which  this  portion  of 
Arabia  received  the  name  of  Arabia  Petrsea.  Teman  was 
either  a  town  or  a  district  in  the  south  of  Edom  ;  the  precise 
location  of  Dedan  is  uncertain.  Jer.  xlix.  7,  8.  Mount 
Seir  is  skirted  on  the  west  by  the  valley  which  extends 
southward  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  eastern  arm  of  the 
Red  Sea.  Between  this  and  the  Mediterranean  lies  the 
desolate  region  known  as  the  wilderness  of  Paran  (Gen.  xxi. 
21)  ;  its  western  portion,  adjacent  to  the  land  of  Egypt,  was 
also  called  the  wilderness  of  Shur  (Ex.  xv.  22),  or  of  Etham. 
Num.  xxxiii.  8.  This  was  occupied  by  roving  tribes  of 
Amalekites.and  others  (1  Sam.  xxvii.  8),  and  was  drained 
by  the  river  of  Egypt  (1  Kings  viii.  65),  which  was  not  the 
Nile,  but  the  modern  wady  «1-Arish,  and  marked  the 
boundary  between  Egypt  and  Palestine. 

Between  the  two  projecting  arms  of  the  Red  Sea  lies  the 
peninsula  of  Sinai,  so  named  from  Mount  Sinai,  near  its 
southern  extremity,  where  the  law  of  God  was  given  to 
Israel  (Ex.  xix.  18),  and  which  was  an  individual  summit 
in  the  mass  of  mountains  collectively  called  Horeb.  Ex. 
iii.  1.     The  adjacent  portion  of  the  desert  was  known  as 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  179 

the  wilderness  or  desert  of  Sinai  (Ex.  xix.  1,  2),  between 
which  and  Etham  lay  the  wilderness  of  Sin.  Ex.  xvi.  1 ; 
Num.  xxxiii.  11. 

Sheba,  whose  queen  was  attracted  by  the  fame  of  Solomon 
(1  Kings  X.  1),  was  in  Southern  Arabia.  It  has  been  dis- 
puted whether  Ophir,  which  was  so  famous  for  its  gold  (Job 
xxviii.  16),  and  which  was  visited  by  Solomon's  vessels  (1 
Kings  ix.  28),  was  in  Arabia,  Africa  or  India. 

If  we  except  Mesopotamia,  from  which  Abraham  removed 
to  Canaan,  no  Gentile  land  is  more  intimately  associated 
with  the  early  history  of  the  chosen  race  than  Egypt. 
Abraham  went  down  thither  when  there  was  a  famine  in 
Canaan  (Gen.  xii.  10)  ;  so  did  Jacob  and  his  family,  who 
were  settled  in  the  land  of  Goshen,  in  that  part  of  Egypt 
which  was  nearest  Palestine.  On,  where  Joseph's  father-in- 
law  was  priest  (Gen.  xli.  45),  was  a  city  of  Lower  Egypt  near 
the  head  of  the  delta  of  the  Nile.  It  was  called  Beth- 
shemesh  (house  of  the  sun)  by  Jeremiah  (xliii.  13),  and  by 
the  Greeks  Heliopolis  (city  of  the  sun).  Pithom  and 
Raamses  were  treasure-cities  built  by  the  Israelites  for 
Pharaoh.  Ex.  i.  11.  Pi-hahiroth,  Migdol  and  Baal-zephon 
(Ex.  xiv.  2)  are  mentioned  in  the  march  of  Israel  out  of 
Egypt,  and  lay  near  the  eastern  frontier.  Sin  (Ezek.  xxx. 
15),  or  Pelusium,  which  is  called  by  Ezekiel  the  strength 
of  Egypt,  lay  near  the  eastern  or  Pelusiac  mouth  of  the 
Nile,  and  gave  name  to  the  adjacent  wilderness  of  Sin.  Ex. 
xvi.  1.  Tahpanhes,  to  which  the  wretched  remnant  of  Jews 
fled  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  murder  of 
Gedaliah  (Jer.  xliii.  7),  was  upon  the  same  branch  of  the 
Nile.  Pi-beseth  (Ezek.  xxx.  17)  and  Zoan,  which  is  said 
in  Num.  xiii.  22  to  have  been  built  seven  years  after  He- 
bron, were  on  a  canal  connecting  the  Pelusiac  arm  of  the 
Nile  with  the  sea.  Alexandria,  the  birthplace  of  A  polios 
(Acts  xviii.  24),  was  the  capital  of  Egypt  under  the  Ptole- 
mies, and  was  founded  by  Alexander  the  Great,  whose  name 


180  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

it  bears.  Both  the  ship  in  which  Paul  was  wrecked  (Acts 
xxvii.  6)  and  that  in  which  he  sailed  from  Malta  to  Italy 
(xxviii.  11)  were  from  Alexandria.  Memphis,  also  called 
Noph  (Isa.  xix.  13),  the  capital  of  Lower  Egypt,  was  in  tiie 
vicinity  of  the  pyramids  and  ancient  tombs.  Hos.  ix.  6. 
Hanes  (Isa.  xxx.  4)  is  by  some  placed  a  short  distance  south 
of  Memphis,  and  by  others  identified  with  Tahpanhes,  al- 
ready mentioned.  Pathros  (Ezek.  xxix.  14)  probably  de- 
notes Upper  Egypt,  and  No  (Jer.  xlvi.  25),  or  No-amon 
(English  version,  populous  No,  Nah.  iii.  8),  was  its  cele- 
brated capital,  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Thebes.  Syene  was 
on  the  southern  border  of  Egypt,  whence  "  from  Migdol  to 
Syene"  designated  the  land  throughout  its  entire  extent. 
Ezek.  xxix.  10;  xxx.  6  (in  the  margin  of  the  English 
version).  Beyond  Syene  lay  Ethiopia,  which  was  often 
united  with  Egypt  under  the  same  king.  This  was  the 
case  under  Zerah,  who  invaded  Judah  in  the  time  of  King 
Asa  (2  Chron.  xiv.  9),  and  Tirhakah,  the  antagonist  of 
Sennacherib.  2  Kings  xix.  9.  Seba,  though  sometimes  dis- 
tinguished from  Ethiopia  (Isa.  xliii.  3;  xlv.  14),  was  more 
commonly  included  under  it;  it  denotes  the  so-called  island 
of  Meroe,  beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia  (Isa.  xviii.  1) — that 
is  to  say,  the  tongue  of  land  included  between  the  two  main 
branches  of  the  Nile.  Philip  baptized  a  eunuch  of  Candace, 
queen  of  the  Ethiopians  (Acts  viii.  27,  fi*.),  as  an  earnest 
and  first  fruits  of  the  promise,  "  Ethiopia  shall  soon  stretch 
out  her  hands  unto  God."  Ps.  Ixviii.  31. 

The  entire  north  of  Africa,  west  of  Egypt,  went  by 
the  general  name  of  Libya.  Libyan  troops  are  spoken 
of  in  the  armies  of  Egypt.  Jer.  xlvi.  9.  One  of  its 
principal  cities  was  Gyrene,  from  which  Simon  came, 
who  bare  the  cross  of  Jesus.  Mark  xv.  21.  There  was 
a  synagogue  in  Jerusalem  composed  wholly  or  in  part 
of  Cyrenians.  Acts  vi.  9.  Men  from  this  city  and  its 
neighborhood  were  present  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  181 

ii.  10),  and  were  subsequently  active  in  spreading  the  gos- 
pel, xi.  20. 

North  and  west  from  Palestine  lay  Asia  Minor,  Europe 
and  the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean  and  ^gean  Seas. 

There  are  twelve  divisions  of  Asia  Minor  commonly  recog- 
nized. Three  were  on  its  southern  coast,  Cilicia,  Pamphylia, 
Lycia;  three  on  its  western,  Caria,  Lydia,  Mysia;  three 
on  its  northern,  Bithynia,  Paphlagonia,  Pontus ;  and  three 
in  the  interior,  Cappadocia,  Galatia,  Phrygia.  The  apostle 
Paul  was  born  in  Cilicia,  in  the  city  of  Tarsus.  Acts  xxi. 
39.  Perga,  in  Pamphylia,  was  the  first  city  in  Asia  Minor 
visited  by  Paul  and  Barnabas  on  their  first  missionary  jour- 
ney (Acts  xiii.  13);  Attalia,  six  miles  distant  on  the  coast, 
is  the  port  at  which  they  embarked  on  their  return.  Acts 
xiv.  25.  From  Patara,  in  Lycia,  Paul  sailed  for  Phoenicia 
on  his  way  to  Jerusalem.  Acts  xxi.  1.  At  Myra,  as  a  pris- 
oner, he  entered  an  Alexandrian  ship  bound  for  Italy. 
Acts  xxvii.  5.  Caria,  Lydia  and  Mysia  constituted  the 
Poman  province  of  Asia,  and  it  is  in  this  limited  sense  that 
the  word  Asia  is  used  in  the  New  Testament — e.  g.,  Acts  ii. 
9 ;  xvi.  6,  7.  The  seven  churches  in  Asia  (Rev.  i.  4)  accord- 
ir.gly  were  in  this  region,  viz. :  Ephesus,  Smyrna,  Pergamos, 
Thyatira,  Sardis,  Philadelphia  and  Laodicea,  though  the 
last  named  was  in  Phrygia,  and  therefore  farther  inland 
than  the  rest.  Trogyllium,  mentioned  in  Paul's  last  mis- 
sionary journey  (Acts  xx.  15),  and  Miletus,  where  he  took 
final  leave  of  the  Ephesian  elders  (v.  17),  were  on  the  coast 
of  Lydia.  Troas,  from  which  Paul  first  sailed  into  Mace- 
donia (Acts  xvi.  8),  and  where  he  restored  Eutychus  to  life 
(xx.  19),  was  the  capital  of  Mysia.  AVhen  Paul  proposed 
to  go  into  Bithynia  on  his  second  missionary  journey,  the 
Spirit  suffered  him  not  (Acts  xvi.  7),  it  being  the  will  of 
God  that  he  should  pass  on  into  Europe.  The  apostle 
Peter  addressed  his  first  Epistle  to  the  strangers  scattered 

throughout  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia  and  Bithy- 
16 


182  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

nia.  1  Pet.  i.  1.  Dwellers  in  Cappadocia,  Pontus  and  Asia, 
Phrygia  and  Pamphylia  were  in  Jerusalem  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  Acts  ii.  9.  Aquila,  with  whom  Paul  abode  at 
Corinth  and  engaged  in  his  occupation  as  a  tent-maker,  was 
born  in  Pontus.  Acts  xviii.  2.  Galatia,  to  which  the  apostle 
Paul  directed  one  of  his  Epistles,  in  its  widest  sense  included 
Lycaonia  and  Pisidia,  and  consequently  the  cities  of  Antioch 
in  Pisidia  (Acts  xiii.  14) — so  called  in  distinction  from 
Antioch  in  Syria — Iconium  (xiv.  1),  Lystra  and  Derbe 
(v.  6),  visited  by  Paul  and  Barnabas  in  their  first  mission- 
ary journey.  Colosse,  to  which  one  of  Paul's  Epistles  was 
"written,  and  Hierapolis  (Col.  iv.  13)  were  in  Phrygia. 

Macedonia  was  the  first  country  in  Europe  in  which  the 
gospel  was  preached  by  the  apostle  Paul  (Acts  xvi.  10),  he 
having  been  directed  thither  by  a  special  vision.  He 
landed  at  Neapolis  and  proceeded  at  once  to  Philippi,  so 
named  from  the  father  of  Alexander  the  Great.  Here  he 
met  Lydia  of  Thyatira,  and  his  imprisonment  led  to  the 
conversion  of  the  jailer  and  his  household.  Acts  xvi.  12,  ff. 
He  likewise  visited  Amphipolis,  Apollonia,  Thessalonica 
and  Berea.  From  Berea  he  hastened  to  Greece,  where  he 
visited  Athens  and  made  his  defence  before  the  court  of  the 
Areopagus  (Acts  xvii.  15);  also  Corinth  (xviii.  1),  the 
chief  city  of  Achaia,  where  he  was  brought  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  Gallio,  and  its  seaport  Cenchrea  (v.  18), 
the  residence  of  Phebe.  Kom.  xvi.  1.  He  also  preached 
the  gospel  as  far  as  Illyricum  (Rom.  xv.  19),  which  was  west 
of  Macedonia  and  bordered  on  the  Adriatic  Sea.  Paul 
speaks  (Titus  iii.  12)  of  having  resolved  to  spend  a  winter 
in  Nicopolis,  probably  the  city  of  that  name  in  Epirus, 
south  of  Illyricum,  though  the  subscription  to  the  Epistle 
(which  is,  how^ever,  of  little  authority)  refers  it  to  a  Nicopo- 
lis  in  Macedonia. 

Between  Illyricum,  on  the  one  side,  and  Italy,  on  the 
other,  lay   the   Adriatic   Sea;   this   name  was   sometimes 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  183 

extended  to  that  portiou  of  the  Mediterranean  bounded 
by  Italy  and  Sicily  on  the  west,  Africa  on  the  south,  and 
Greece  and  Crete  on  the  east.  It  is  in  this  wide  sense 
of  the  term  that  Paul  and  his  fellow-passengers  are  said  to 
have  been  driven  up  and  down  in  Adria.  Acts  xxvii.  27. 

In  Italy  mention  is  made  not  only  of  Rome,  but  of 
the  places  through  which  Paul  passed  in  journeying  toward 
it,  viz. :  Rhegium,  in  the  extreme  south  of  the  peninsula ; 
Puteoli,  near  Naples,  where  he  landed;  Appii  Forum,  which 
was  thirty-five  miles  from  Rome ;  and  The  Three  Taverns, 
which  was  five  miles  nearer  the  imperial  city. 

The  westernmost  country  spoken  of  in  the  Bible  is  Spain, 
which  Paul  proposed  to  visit,  though  it  does  not  appear  that 
his  intention  was  ever  carried  into  effect.  Rom.  xv.  24,  28. 
The  Tarshish  of  the  Old  Testament  for  which  Jonah  set 
sail  (Jon.  i.  3),  and  to  which  Solomon  traded,  was  probably 
a  Phoenician  colony  in  the  south  of  Spain. 

The  islands  named  in  the  Bible  are  Cyprus,  the  native 
country  of  Barnabas  (Acts  iv.  36),  and  over  which  Barna- 
bas and  Paul  passed  from  Salamis,  on  its  eastern  coast,  to 
Paphos,  on  its  western ;  Crete,  with  which  many  have  iden- 
tified the  Caphtor  of  the  Old  Testament,  from  which  the 
Philistines  originally  came.  Amos  ix.  7.  Here  Paul  left 
Titus  to  labor.  Tit.  i.  8.  In  Paul's  last  voyage  mention  is 
made  (Acts  xxvii.  7,  8)  of  the  promontory  of  Salmone,  at 
the  north-eastern  extremity  of  the  island,  and  of  Lasea,  The 
Fair  Havens  and  Phenice  (v.  12),  on  its  southern  side. 
The  island  Clauda  (v.  16),  a  short  distance  south  of  Crete, 
Rhodes,  Coos  (Acts  xxi.  1),  Patmos,  to  which  the  apostle 
John  was  banished  (Rev.  i.  9),  Samos,  Chios  (Acts  xx.  15), 
Lesbos,  the  capital  of  which  was'Mitylene  (v.  14),  and  Sam- 
othracia  (Acts  xvi.  11)  were  in  the  Grecian  Archipelago. 
Paul  was  shipwrecked  on  Melita  or  Malta  (Acts  xxviii.  1), 
and  after  leaving  this  island  stopped  at  Syracuse  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  Sicily,  v.  12. 


ARCHi:OLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE. 


LESSOM  L 

FOOD. 


The  archaeology  of  the  Bible  is  an  account  of  the  cus- 
toms and  usages  described  or  referred  to  in  the  sacred 
volume.  So  far  as  these  are  different  from  those  which  pre- 
vail at  the  present  day  or  amongst  ourselves,  a  knowledge 
of  them  is  important  for  the  illustration  of  the  passages  in 
which  these  references  occur,  being  sometimes  essential  to 
a  right  apprehension  of  their  meaning  and  at  others  adding 
greatly  to  their  force  or  beauty.  Archaeology  may  be  con- 
veniently divided  into  three  parts,  corresponding  to  three 
several  spheres  in  which  human  life  may  be  regarded  as 
moving.  We  may  consider  man  in  a  threefold  aspect,  as  he 
is  a  member  of  the  family  or  of  the  community  or  of  the 
nation.  The  family  has  its  domestic  and  social  usages, 
which  may  therefore  be  held  to  constitute  the  first  branch 
of  archaeology;  the  second  relates  to  the  various  trades 
and  occupations  practiced  in  the  community;  and  the 
third  embraces  the  civil  and  political  regulations  belonging 
to  the  nation. 

The  full  and  satisfactory  discussion  of  these  several 
themes  would  require  a  volume.  We  find  ourselves  unable 
to  compress  even  the  most  meagre  account  of  them  into  the 
few  pages  that  are  allotted  to  this  subject  in  the  plan  of  the 
present  treatise.     It  will  only  be  possible  to  present  a  few 

16*  1S5 


186  PBEPARING   TO  TEACH. 

topics  as  specimens  and  representatives  of  the  whole.  We 
shall  accordingly  make  a  selection  from  the  first  branch  of 
the  general  subject,  or  domestic  and  social  archaeology. 
This  has  its  two  divisions,  viz.,  internal  and  external.  The 
former  relates  to  the  constitution  of  the  family  itself,  and 
concerns — 1.  The  bond  of  marriage,  upon  which  the  family 
is  based.  2.  The  relationship  which  it  creates  of  parents 
and  children,  masters  and  servants.  3.  Its  varied  ex- 
periences x)f  joy  or  sorrow,  as  connected  with  social  inter- 
course, with  sickness  or  with  death.  The  remaining  divis- 
ion, Avhich  in  contrast  with  the  preceding  has  been  called 
external — and  it  is  to  this  that  our  attention  shall  be  exclu- 
sively directed — is  occupied  with  the  provision  made  in  the 
family  for  the  supply  of  the  outward  physical  necessities 
of  its  members,  viz. :  1.  Food ;  2.  Clothing ;  3.  Dwellings. 
As  to  the  articles  of  food  in  ordinary  use  among  the 
Hebrews,  and  the  mode  of  their  preparation,  there  is  much 
that  is  obvious  and  common  to  them  with  ourselves.  They 
subsisted  partly,  of  course,  upon  the  products  of  the  Boil,  and 
partly  upon  such  animal  food  as  was  accessible.  Bread  was 
with  them,  as  with  us,  the  staff  of  life  (Isa.  iii.  1),  as  is  shown 
by  the  current  phrase  to  "  eat  bread  "  for  partaking  of  food. 
Gen.  iii.  19 ;  xxxi.  54.  It  was  prepared  from  the  various 
cereals,  particularly  wheat  (Ps.  Ixxxi.  16),  which  was  pre- 
ferred, and  which  is  accordingly  commonly  meant  when 
"  corn"  is  spoken  of  in  the  Bible,  as  Gen.  xlii.  1 ;  though 
barley  was  also  used  (Judg.  vii.  13 ;  2  Kings  iv.  42),  and 
in  case  of  necessity  poorer  and  coarser  grains  (Ezek.  iv.  9) 
might  be  employed  which  in  ordinary  times  were  only  fed 
to  cattle.  Grain  might  be  eaten  in  the  ear  in  its  natural 
state,  as  by  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  who  plucked  it  as  they 
walked  through  the  field  (Luke  vi.  1),  or  when  newly  ripe 
it  might  be  parched  or  roasted,  as  by  the  reapers  of  Boaz. 
Euth  ii.  14.  It  was  mostly,  however,  made  into  cakes  or 
bread,  and  for  this  purpose  was  first  bea<^en  fine  in  mortars 


archjEology  of  the  bible.  187 

(Prov.  xxvii.  22)  or  ground  into  flour  (Ex.  xxix.  2)  in 
the  mill.  Num.  xi.  8.  This  latter  was  an  article  of  ordi- 
nary domestic  use,  and  consisted  of  two  millstones,  the 
nether,  which  was  fixed  (Job  xli.  24),  and  the  upper,  which 
was  movable,  and  was  turned  by  women  (Matt.  xxiv.  41) 
or  by  slaves.  Judg.  xvi.  21 ;  Lam.  v.  13.  Two  sat  facing 
each  other,  one  of  whom  grasped  the  handle  and  impelled 
it  halfway  round ;  then  the  other  completed  the  revolution 
In  consequence  of  the  menial  character  of  this  occupation 
the  extremes  of  society  are  indicated  in  Ex.  xi.  5  by  saying 
"  From  Pharaoh  that  sitteth  upon  his  throne  unto  the  maid- 
servant that  is  behind  the  mill."  And  the  prophet  Isaiah 
expressed  the  utmost  degradation  of  the  daughter  of  Babylon 
by  bidding  her  to  take  the  millstones  and  grind  meal.  Isa. 
xlvii.  2.  The  sound  of  the  mill  was  daily  heard  in  every 
house,  so  that  its  ceasing  betokened  desolation  (Jer.  xxv.  10; 
Rev.  xviii.  22),  and  from  its  indispensable  character  it  was 
forbidden  to  take  a  millstone  in  pledge  for  debt.  Deut.  xxiv. 
6.  Larger  mills  were  turned  by  asses ;  and  when  Jesus 
speaks  of  a  millstone  being  hanged  about  a  man*s  neck  and 
his  being  drowned  in  the  sea  (Matt,  xviii.  6 ;  Luke  xvii.  2), 
the  term  used  in  the  original  Greek  shows  that  it  was  one 
of  this  larger  sort  which  was  intended. 

The  flour  thus  prepared  was  baked,  either  leavened  or 
unleavened  (Gen.  xix.  3 ;  Ex.  xii.  39),  in  the  hot  ashes  or  on 
heated  stone  (1  Kings  xix.  6)  or  iron  plates  (Lev.  vii.  9)  or 
in  a  sort  of  ovens.  Hos.  vii.  4-6.  These  last  were  stone  or 
earthen  cylinders  about  three  feet  high,  in  which  fire  was 
made,  and  the  dough  was  spread  upon  their  heated  exterior, 
or  holes  dug  in  the  ground,  in  which  bread  or  cakes,  or, 
thinner  still,  wafers  (Lev.  xxix.  23),  were  baked  on  the  til- 
ing of  the  bottom  or  sides,  after  the  fire  had  been  drawn 
out  and  the  ashes  swept  away.  What  are  called  loaves  of 
bread  were  thin  circular  disks,  which  were  not  cut  but 
broken.  Lam.  iv.  4 ;  Matt.  xiv.  19 ;  xxvi.  26.     Professional 


188  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

bakers  are  not  only  spoken  of  in  royal  households,  as  that 
of  Pharaoh  (Gen.  xl.  1)  and  Saul  (1  Sam.  viii.  13),  but  there 
were  likewise  public  ovens  (Hos.  vii.  4,  6),  at  least  in  the 
later  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  history ;  and  from  the 
mention  (Jer.  xxxvii.  21)  of  the  bakers'  street,  it  would  ap- 
pear that  the  usage  then  prevailed  which  is  still  maintained 
in  Oriental  cities  of  appropriating  whole  bazaars  or  rows  of 
shops  to  certain  trades  or  kinds  of  business. 

Various  vegetables  are  mentioned,  as  lentiles,  of  which 
Jacob  made  pottage  (Gen.  xxv.  34),  cucumbers,  melons, 
leeks,  onions  and  garlic,  which  the  children  of  Israel  had 
eaten  in  Egypt,  and  for  which  they  longed  in  the  desert 
(Num.  xi.  5),  beans  (2  Sam.  xvii.  8),  garden  plants  (1  Kings 
xxi.  2),  and  plants  growing  wild  which  were  gathered  for 
food  (2  Kings  iv.  39  ;  Prov.  xv.  17)  ;  likewise  fruit  of  differ- 
ent kinds  (2  Sam.  xvi.  1 ;  Amos  viii.  2),  particularly  apples 
(Sol.  Song  ii.  5),  pomegranates  (Num.  xx.  5),  grapes  and 
figs  (Matt.  vii.  16),  which  were  not  only  eaten  fresh,  but 
dried  as  raisins,  or  compacted  into  a  solid  mass  as  cakes  of 
pressed  grapes  or  figs.  1  Sam.  xxv.  18.  Grape  cakes  were 
esteemed  very  refreshing  (Cant.  ii.  5),  and  were  distributed 
with  other  provisions  among  the  people  assembled  at  the  re- 
moval of  the  ark  to  Zion  (2  Sam.  vi.  19) ;  tkey  are  also 
mentioned  among  the  delicacies  associated  with  idolatry 
(Hos.  iii.  1)  ;  in  each  of  these  passages  the  English  version 
incorrectly  has  "  bottles  "  or  "  flagons  of  w^ine."  The  word 
"  dates "  occurs  (2  Chron.  xxxi.  5)  in  the  margin  of  the 
English  Bible,  though  it  is  not  the  proper  rendering  of 
the  original  term  ;  the  palm  tree,  which  is  repeatedly  spoken 
of  in  Scripture  (Deut.  xxxiv.  3;  Ps.  xcii.  12),  however, 
is  the  date-palm,  and  the  use  of  its  fruit,  though  not  ex- 
pressly mentioned,  is  implied.  Cant.  vii.  8.  Sycamore  fruit 
was  gathered  and  eaten  only  by  the  humbler  classes.  Amos 
vii.  14.  Mention  is  also  made  of  almonds  and  other  species 
of  nuts.  Gen.  xliii.  11 ;  Cant.  vi.  11. 


ARCHEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  189 

It  has  been  made  a  question  whether  animal  food  was  in 
use  before  the  flood,  inasmuch  as  it  was  not  explicitly  con- 
tained in  the  grant  made  to  Adam  (Gen.  i.  29),  w^iile  it  was 
in  that  made  to  Noah  and  his  descendants  (Gen.  ix.  3);  though 
the  keeping  of  sheep  and  cattle  (Gen.  iv.  2,  20),  clothing 
made  from  skins  (Gen.  iii.  21)  and  the  distinction  between 
clean  and  unclean  animals  which  was  recognized  prior  to  the 
flood  (Gen.  vii.  2,  8)  seem  to  imply  that  it  w^as  made  use  of 
from  the  earliest  periods.  In  so  warm  a  climate  as  that  of 
Palestine  it  was  less  necessary  than  in  colder  regions.  And 
the  fact  that  meat  could  be  kept  but  a  short  time,  and  the 
whole  animal  had  consequently  to  be  eaten  soon  after  being 
killed,  added  to  the  expense  and  led  to  its  being  but  spar- 
ingly used,  except  upon  the  tables  of  the  rich  and  great,  as 
of  King  Solomon  (1  Kings  iv.  22,  23)  or  Nehemiah,  the 
Persian  viceroy  (Neh.  v.  18),  or  on  special  occasions  of  hos- 
pitality (Gen.  xviii.  7),  festivity  (Luke  xv.  23)  or  religious 
observance.  Ex.  xii.  8  ;  Dent.  xiv.  26  ;  xv.  19,  20.  The  Jew- 
ish law  forbade  the  eating  of  any  but  clean  animals.  Lev. 
xi.  2,  ff";  Dent.  xiv.  4,  ff.  These  are  among  quadrupeds  those 
which  part  the  hoof  and  chew  the  cud,  as  oxen,  sheep  and 
goats,  together  with  deer  and  some  other  kinds  of  game ; 
among  fish — of  which  they  had  already  learned  to  be  fond 
in  Egypt  (Num.  xi.  5),  and  which  were  supplied  by  the  Sea 
of  Galilee  (Matt.  iv.  18),  as  well  as  brought  by  Tyrians  to 
the  markets  of  Jerusalem  (Neh.  xiii.  16) — such  only  as  have 
fins  and  scales ;  among  birds  all  but  certain  prohibited  species, 
which  were  mostly  birds  of  prey,  or  such  as  fed  in  marshes, 
or  on  worms,  carcasses  or  other  impurities.  Quails,  doves, 
partridges,  sparrows  and  fatted  fowl  (1  Kings  iv.  23),  by  which 
were  probably  meant  geese  or  ducks,  are  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Testament ;  chickens  only  in  the  New.  Luke  xiii.  34 ; 
xxii.  60.  That  eggs  were  eaten  appears  from  Job  vi.  6 ; 
Isa.  X.  14 ;  Luke  xi.  12.  Among  insects,  the  esculent  locust 
(Lev.  xi.  22 ;  Matt.  iii.  4)  was  allowed  to  be  eaten,  as  it  still 


190  PEEPARINO   TO   TEACH. 

is  by  the  poorer  classes  in  Arabia  and  the  East,  by  whom  it 
is  salted  and  cooked,  or  ground  into  flour  and  baked.  The 
sacrificial  system  further  made  it  unlawful  to  eat  blood 
(Lev.  vii.  26,  27 ;  xvii.  10-14)  or  flesh  in  which  the  blood 
remained  (1  Sam.  xiv.  32),  and  by  consequence  animals 
strangled  or  killed  by  wild  beasts  (Ex.  xxii.  31 ;  Lev.  xvii. 
15) ;  also  those  fat  pieces  which  were  customarily  burned 
upon  the  altar.  Lev.  iii.  17  ;  vii.  23-25.  The  sinew  was  also 
extracted  from  the  thigh  for  a  special  reason.  Gen.  xxxii.  32. 

The  care  of  cattle  is  associated  with  the  products  of  the 
dairy.  The  milk  of  cows,  goats  and  sheep  (Deut.  xxxii.  15 ; 
Prov.  xxvii.  27)  was  used  in  its  natural  state  or  made  into 
cheese  (1  Sam.  xvii.  18 ;  Job  x.  10)  or  butter,  the  latter  de- 
noting not  merely  butter  in  the  modern  sense  (Prov.  xxx. 
33),  but  more  commonly  curds,  of  which  the  Orientals  are 
very  fond.  Judg.  v.  25.  Honey  is  often  joined  with  milk  in 
describing  the  fertility  and  abundance  of  Canaan  (Ex.  iii. 
8),  or,  as  in  Isa.  vii.  22,  those  natural  means  of  subsistence 
which  still  remained  when  the  country  was  ravaged  and 
agriculture  suspended.  Besides  the  honey  made  by  bees, 
which  was  often  found  wild  (Deut.  xxxii.  13 ;  1  Sam.  xiv. 
25 ;  Matt.  iii.  4),  there  was  also  a  honey  artificially  prepared  ; 
at  least  it  is  the  opinion  of  many  scholars  that  this  name 
was  also  applied,  as  by  the  modern  Arabs,  to  a  sweet  syrup 
made  from  grape  juice  or  from  dates.  Gen.  xliii.  11 ;  2  Chron. 
xxxi.  5 ;  Ezek.  xxvii.  17. 

Oil  and  salt,  though  not  themselves  articles  of  food,  were 
used  in  preparing  and  seasoning  it.  Lev.  ii.  4 ;  Job  vi.  6. 
With  allusion  to  its  preserving  quality,  a  "  covenant  of  salt" 
(Num.  xviii.  19 ;  2  Chron.  xiii.  5)  is  a  perpetual  covenant, 
and  the  disciples  of  Christ  are  called  the  "salt  of  the  earth." 
Matt.  V.  13.  As  it  is  the  opposite  of  both  insipidity  and 
corruption,  the  apostle  directs  that  our  speech  should  be 
always  "  seasoned  with  salt."  Col.  iv.  6. 

The  drinks  spoken  of  in  addition  to  water  and  milk  are 


ARCHEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  191 

wine,  strong  drink  (Lev.  x.  9,  prepared  from  barley,  honey 
or  dates,  and  so  called  from  its  intoxicating  properties), 
and  vinegar,  which  was  a  sour  wine.  Num.  vi.  3 ;  Ruth  ii. 
14.  Wine  when  drunk  was  sometimes  weakened  with  water 
(Isa.  i.  22)  in  the  proportion,  as  the  Rabbins  say,  of  three 
parts  of  water  to  one  of  wine ;  sometimes  it  was  rendered 
more  exciting  by  the  infusion  of  spices.  Prov.  ix.  2,  5 ; 
Cant.  viii.  2.  Hence  an  ambiguity  in  the  expression  "  mixed 
wine."  Thus  the  wrath  of  God  is  compared  to  wine  "full  of 
mixture"  (Ps.  Ixxv.  8) — i.  e.,  with  its  strength  increased  by 
intensifying  ingredients;  and  it  is  said  to  be  "poured  out 
without  mixture  "  (Rev.  xiv.  10) — i.  e.,  undiluted.  Wine 
also  became  stronger  by  being  left  upon  its  lees,  when  it  re- 
quired to  be  strained  to  free  it  from  dregs  or  insects.  Isa.  xxv. 
6 ;  Matt,  xxiii.  24.  Sour  wine  mingled  with  myrrh  or  other 
bitter  ingredients  was  sometimes  given  to  those  who  were 
executed  to  stupefy  them  and  render  them  insensible  to  suf- 
fering. Prov.  xxxi.  6 ;  Matt,  xxvii.  34,  48. 

The  chief  meal  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  was  at  noon,  and 
accordingly  Joseph  dined  at  this  hour  (Gen.  xliii.  16)  ;  so 
was  the  principal  repast  throughout  the  Old  Testament, 
Ruth  ii.  14 ;  1  Kings  xx.  16.  But  in  the  New  Testament 
the  Greek  and  Roman  custom  prevailed  of  having  the 
chief  meal  at  night,  and  entertainments  were  generally  sup- 
pers. Mark  vi.  21;  Luke  xiv.  12,  16;  John  xii.  2.  The 
primitive  posture  of  the  Hebrews,  as  of  the  Egyptians,  at 
table  was  sitting.  Thus  Joseph's  brethren  sat  when  they 
ate  with  him  (Gen.  xliii.  33)  ;  Jacob  invited  his  father  to  "  sit 
and  eat"  (Gen.  xxvii.  19)  ;  the  Levite  and  his  father-in-law 
ill  Bethlehem-judah  "  sat  down  and  did  eat  and  drink."  Judg. 
xix.  6.  David  sat  at  meat  with  Saul,  and  when  absent  left 
his  seat  empty  (1  Sam.  xx.  5,  18,  24) ;  the  man  of  God  out 
of  Judah  "  sat  at  the  table  "  in  Bethel.  1  Kings  xiii.  20.  At 
a  later  period  luxurious  livers  adopted  the  fashion  of  reclin- 
ing; thus  Amos  (vi.  4)  says  that  they  "lie  upon  beds  of 


192  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

ivory  and  stretch  themselves  upon  their  couches  " — not  for 
sleep,  as  apj^ears  from  what  follows  in  the  very  same  sen- 
tence— "  and  eat  the  lambs  out  of  the  flock  and  calves  out  of 
the  stall."  And  the  Persian  origin  of  this  new  fashion  is  dis- 
tinctly intimated  in  the  book  of  Esther  (i.  6),  where  the  ban- 
quet-hall of  Ahasuerus  is  described  as  containing  "  beds"  or 
couches.  In  our  Saviour's  day  the  universal  custom  was  to 
recline  on  couches,  called  in  Greek  triclinia  because  they, 
usually  held  three  persons.  The  knowledge  of  this  usage 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  explain  how  John  could  "lean  on 
Jesus'  bosom  "  at  the  table  (John  xiii.  23  ;  xxi.  20) ;  for  as 
each  person  supported  himself  on  his  left  arm,  he  was 
brought  into  this  relation  to  the  one  who  lay  next  to  him. 
It  also  shows  how  the  woman  who  anointed  him  had  access 
to  his  feet.  Luke  vii.  38.  Modern  Orientals  sit  on  their  heels 
or  with  their  legs  crossed  before  a  waiter  placed  upon  a 
wooden  stool  about  a  foot  high,  or  before  a  round  piece  of 
leather  spread  upon  the  floor  and  provided  with  rings  in  its 
outer  edge,  so  that  it  can  be  drawn  together  like  a  bag  and 
hung  up  after  eating.  It  has  been  suggested  that  such  a  table 
might  easily  be  likened  to  a  snare.  Ps.  Ixix.  22 ;  Kom.  xi.  9. 
In  the  absence  of  knives  and  forks,  the  food  was  taken  with 
the  fingers,  which  explains  our  Lord's  expression,  "He  that 
dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish  "  (Matt.  xxvi.  23),  as 
well  as  his  act  of  dipping  the  sop.  John  xiii.  26.  Hence 
the  hands  were  washed  before  and  after  each  meal,  which 
the  Pharisees  erected  into  an  obligatory  religious  ceremony. 
Matt.  XV.  2 ;  Mark  vii.  2,  fF;  Luke  xi.  38.  Allusions  to  the 
usual  practice  of  asking  a  blessing  or  giving  thanks  before 
eating  occur  in  the  case  of  Samuel  (1  Sam.  ix.  13),  and  re- 
peatedly in  the  history  of  our  Lord.  Matt.  xiv.  19. 

When  entertainments  were  given,  invited  guests  were  noti- 
fied by  servants  at  the  proper  hour  (Prov.  ix.  3 ;  Matt.  xxii.  3, 
4)  ;  they  were  welcomed  with  a  kiss  upon  their  arrival  (Luke 
vii.  45),  their  feet  were  washed  (Gen.  xviii.  4 ;  Luke  vii.  44), 


ARCHAEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  193 

their  hair  and  beard  anointed  (Ps.  xxiii.  5 ;  Amos  vi.  6  ;  Luke 
vii.  46),  and  places  were  assigned  them  at  the  table  according 
to  their  rank.  Gen.  xliii.  33  ;  1  Sam.  ix.  22 ;  Luke  xiv.  8,  ff. 
As  a  mark  of  special  honor  choice  pieces  were  sent  them 
by  the  host  (1  Sara.  ix.  24),  sometimes  double  the  ordinary- 
quantity  (1  Sam.  i.  5),  or  even  more.  Gen,  xliii.  34.  As  an 
illustration  of  the  modes  of  diversion  sometimes  resorted 
to  on  such  occasions  may  be  mentioned  the  riddle  pro- 
pounded at  Samson's  wedding.  Judg.  xiv.  12.  Excess  of 
revelry  and  riotous  festivity  were  rebuked  by  the  prophets. 
Isa.  V.  11,  12;  Amos  vi.  4-6.  In  the  Greek  and  Roman 
period  the  appliances  of  luxury  had  greatly  increased,  and 
musicians  and  dancing-women  were  introduced  to  amuse  or 
charm  the  guests.  Matt.  xiv.  6 ;  Luke  xv.  25.  Christians  are 
repeatedly  warned  against  all  improper  indulgence.  Rom. 
xiii.  13;  Gal.  v.  21 ;  1  Pet.  iv.  3.  AVonien  and  children 
were  present  at  social  entertainments  (1  Sam.  i.  4;  John 
xii.  3),  and  at  sacrificial  meals  men-servants  and  maid-ser- 
vants, Levites,  strangers,  the  fatherless  and  widows  were  in- 
vited. Deut.  xvi.  11,  14.  Eating  together  was  a  pledge  of 
friendship,  and  established  a  claim  to  protection.  Josh.  ix. 
14 ;  Ps.  xli.  9 ;  John  xiii.  18. 


LESSOJf  11. 
CLOTHING. 


Our  first  parents  sewed  fig  leaves  for  their  covering 
(Gen.  iii.  7),  and  the  Lord  made  them  coats  of  skins,  ver. 
21.  The  materials  for  clothing  subsequently  mentioned  in 
the  Bible  are  wool,  linen,  cotton,  silk  and  the  hair  of  goats 
and  camels.  The  use  of  wool  for  this  purpose  even  in  the 
most  ancient  times  is  implied  in  Abel's  keeping  sheep 
17 


194  PBEPABING   TO  TEACH. 

(Gen.  iv.  2),  which  was  no  doubt  for  the  sake  of  their  fleece 
as  w^ell  as  of  their  flesh,  and  especially  in  the  shearing  of 
sheep,  which  is  expressly  mentioned  in  the  case  of  Laban 
(Gen.  xxxi.  19),  and  of  Judah.  Gen.  xxxviii.  12.  Job 
clothed  the  poor  with  the  fleece  of  his  sheep  (Job  xxxi.  20), 
and  Moses  speaks  of  woolen  garments  as  in  common  use. 
Lev.  xiii.  47.  The  cultivation  of  flax  is  first  alluded  to 
during  the  sojourn  in  Egypt  (Ex.  ix.  81),  where  it  was  a 
staple  article  of  trade  and  manufacture  from  a  very  early 
period.  Its  use  among  the  Hebrews  is  shown  in  the  direc- 
tion that  the  priests'  garments  should  be  of  linen.  Lev.  xvi. 
4.  The  "fine  linen"  of  the  Bible,  such  as  that  with  which 
Joseph  was  arrayed  (Gen.  xli.  42),  and  which  was  used  in 
the  construction  of  the  tabernacle  (Ex.  xxv.  4 ;  xxvi.  1), 
and  which  the  rich  man  in  the  parable  is  represented  as  wear- 
ing (Luke  xvi.  19),  was  the  ancient  byssus,  which  has  been 
supposed  to  have  been  in  most  cases  a  cotton  fabric,  though 
recent  microscopic  investigations  of  mummy  wrappings  have 
shown  that  they  at  least  exhibit  the  cylindrical  fibre  of  flax, 
and  not  the  flat  fibre  of  cotton.  This  byssus  is  improperly 
translated  "silk"  in  Prov.  xxxi.  22,  and  in  the  margin  in  a 
couple  of  other  passages.  Silk  does  occur,  however,  at  a 
later  period  (Ezek.  xvi.  10,  13;  Rev.  xviii.  12),  as  an  ele- 
gant and  costly  material.  Goats'  hair  was  spun  for  the  sanc- 
tuary (Ex.  xxvi.  7  ;  xxxv.  26),  as  well  as  made  into  sackcloth 
(Rev.  vi.  12)  ;  and  John  the  Baptist  had  his  raiment  of  .cam- 
els' hair.  Matt.  iii.  4.  The  mingling  of  diflferent  materials, 
as  of  linen  and  woolen,  in  the  same  piece  was  prohibited 
(Lev.  xix.  19;  Deut.  xxii.  11),  like  all  other  heterogeneous 
mixtures,  from  a  religious  point  of  view,  as  a  confusing  of 
what  God  had  made  distinct.  Clothes  were  commonly  made 
by  the  women,  as  by  Hannah  (1  Sam.  ii.  19)  and  Dorcas 
(Acts  ix.  39),  and  even,  as  in  classic  lands,  by  ladies  of  rank 
and  wealth.  Prov.  xxxi.  22. 

There  were  two  striking  points  of  difference  between  the 


ARCHEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  195 

Oriental  dress  and  that  which  is  in  use  among  ourselves. 
The  first  is  its  loose  and  flowing  character  as  distinguished 
from  our  tightly-fitting  dress,  so  that  the  same  suit  of  clothes 
would  answer  for  one  person  as  well  as  another.  The 
second  is  the  permanence  and  uniformity  of  Eastern  fashions 
as  compared  with  ours,  so  that  the  best  illustration  of  the 
apparel  in  use  in  the  days  of  Abraham  is  in  some  respects 
furnished  by  that  worn  by  the  Arabs  at  the  present  time. 
It  hence  resulted  that  clothing  became  an  important  element 
of  wealth,  as  its  value  was  not  impaired  by  frequent  changes 
nor  by  want  of  adaptation  to  any  who  might  wish  to  wear 
it.  The  accumulation  of  clothing  is  accordingly  spoken  of 
along  with  that  of  the  precious  metals  as  indicating  riches. 
Ex.  xii.  35 ;  Josh.  xxii.  8 ;  2  Chron.  ix.  24 ;  Zech.  xiv.  14 ; 
Acts  XX.  33.  Thus  Job  (xxvii.  16)  combines  heaping  up 
silver  as  dust  and  preparing  raiment  as  the  clay.  A  man 
of  property  in  a  time  of  general  impoverishment  is  described 
as  one  who  has  clothing.  Isa.  iii,  6.  The  apostle  James 
(v.  2)  denounces  woe  upon  the  rich  by  saying,  "  Your  riches 
are  corrupted  and  your  garments  are  moth-eaten."  And 
our  Lord  exhorts  his  disciples  (Matt.  vi.  19),  "  Lay  not  up 
for  yourselves  treasures  upon  earth,  where  moth  and  rust 
doth  corrupt."  Comp.  Josh.  viL  21 ;  2  Kings  vii.  8.  Hence 
we  find  a  "keeper  of  the  wardrobe"  among  the  officials  of 
the  royal  household  (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  22) ;  and  the  house 
of  Baal  contained  vestments  enough  for  all  his  worshipers. 
2  Kings  X.  22.  Guests  at  a  royal  festival  were  supplied 
with  garments  for  the  occasion,  which  accounts  for  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  king  at  seeing  one  present  at  the  marriage 
of  his  son  who  had  not  on  a  w'edding-garment.  Matt,  xxii. 
12.  On  the  return  of  the  prodigal  the  servants  were 
directed  to  bring  forth  the  best  robe  and  put  it  on  him, 
Luke  XV.  22.  This  explains  also  the  frequent  mention  of 
changes  of  raiment  or  presents  of  clothing  as  of  peculiar 
value.     Thus  the  thirty  changes  of  garments  paid  by  Sam- 


196  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

SOD  to  the  Philistines  (Judg.  xiv.  12),  the  ten  changes  of 
raiment  sent  by  the  king  of  Syria  to  the  king  of  Israel 
(2  Kings  V.  5),  the  presents  of  clothing  given  by  Joseph 
to  his  brethren  (Gen.  xlv.  22),  by  Jonathan  to  David  (1 
Sam.  xviii.  4),  by  Esther  to  Mordecai.  Esth.  iv.  4. 

The  essential  articles  of  dress,  as  in  ancient  Greece  and 
in  the  modern  East,  were  two,  viz. :  the  undergarment, 
which  was  put  on  and  worn  next  the  body,  and  the  upper 
or  outer  garment,  which  was  loosely  thrown  over  it.  These 
belonged  alike  to  both  sexes,  though  with  such  a  discrimi- 
nation in  style  or  in  the  quality  of  the  material,  and  with 
such  additional  articles  belonging  exclusively  to  one  sex 
or  to  the  other,  that  the  dress  of  men  was  readily  dis- 
tinguishable from  that  of  women,  as  is  implied  in  the  pro- 
hibition in  the  law  that  neither  sex  should  wear  the  garments 
of  the  other  (Deut.  xxii.  5),  a  prohibition  based  not  only 
on  decorum,  but  possibly  also,  as  has  been  conjectured,  on 
oppositicm  to  certain  practices  in  heathen  worship  in  which 
such  interchange  was  customary. 

The  undergarment  (commonly  called  "coat"*  in  the 
English  version)  was  a  narrow  tunic  or  gown,  mostly 
woolen,  though  those  of  the  priests  were  linen  (Lev.  xvi.  4), 
and  worn  alike  by  young  and  old  (Gen.  xxxvii.  3;  2  Sam. 
XV.  32),  and  by  persons  of  either  sex.  Cant.  v.  3.  It  com- 
monly had  short  sleeves,  reached  nearly  to  the  knees,  and 
was  confined  at  the  waist  by  a  belt  or  girdle.  As  worn  by 
persons  of  superior  rank,  and  particularly  ladies,  it  some- 
times had  long  sleeves  and  extended  to  the  ankles;  such 
was  probably  the  coat  with  which  Joseph  was  honored 
(Gen.  xxxvii.  3),  and  the  garment  of  King  David's  daugh- 
ter Tamar  (2  Sam.  xiii.  18),  improperly  rendered  by  our 

*  But  "garment"  in  2  Sam.  xiii.  18, 19  ;  Ezra  ii.  69  ;  Neh.  vii.  70, 
72;  Jude  ver.  23,  "robe"  in  Isa.  xxii.  21,  and  "clothes"  in  Mark 
xiv.  63;  "coat"  in  1  Sam.  ii.  19  represents  a  different  word,  and  in 
Dan.  iii.  21,  27,  another  still. 


ARCHAEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  197 

translators  "of  many"  or  "divers  colors,"  A  person 
who  had  nothing  on  but  this  undergarment  unbelted  was 
called  naked ;  so  Saul  among  the  prophets,  when  h^  had 
thrown  off  his  upper  garment  (Eng.  Ver.  clothes)  (1  Sam. 
xix.  24),  and  Isaiah  when  he  had  loosened  or  thrown  off  his 
dress  of  sackcloth  (Isa.  xx.  2),  and  Peter  when  his  fisher's 
coat  was  ungirt.  John  xxi.  7,  While  that  which  has  now 
been  described  was  the  only  undergarment  considered  indis- 
pensable and  universally  worn,  two  others  are  also  spoken 
of  that  were  finer  and  more  costly,  and  belonged  chiefly  to 
the  rich.  A  shirt  was  sometimes  worn  under  the  tunic 
(Judg.  xiv.  12,  marg.),  which  is  in  Isa.  iii.  23  ;  Prov.  xxxi. 
24  rendered  "  fine  linen,"  this  being  the  material  of  which  it 
was  made.  There  was  also  a  "  robe  "  or  "  mantle,""^  as  it  is 
usually  translated  in  our  version,  which  was  without  sleeves 
and  larger  than  the  tunic  over  which  it  was  worn.  This 
formed  part  of  the  official  dress  of  the  high  priest  (Lev. 
viii.  7),  and  was  worn  by  Samuel  in  his  childhood  (1  Sam. 
ii.  9)  as  the  attendant  upon  Eli,  as  well  as  in  his  later  years 
when  he  was  invested  with  high  authority  in  both  civil  and 
religious  matters.  1  Sam.  xv.  27 ;  xxviii.  14.  So,  too,  by 
Ezra  the  priest.  Ezra  ix.  3,  5.  It  was  also  worn  by  kings 
(Ezek.  xxvi.  16),  as  by  Saul  (1  Sam.  xxiv.  4)  and  David 
(1  Chron.  xv.  27),  and  by  members  of  the  royal  family, 
as  Jonathan  (1  Sam.  xviii.  4),  and  king's  daughters 
(2  Sam.  xiii.  18),  and  by  nobles  or  men  of  distinction, 
as  by  Job  (i.  20;  xxix.  14)  and  his  three  friends,  ii. 
12.  Hence  the  high-priest  (Mark  xiv.  63)  is  said  to 
have  rent  his  tunics — i.  e.,  both  his  robe  and  his  tunic 
proper.  To  this  custom  of  the  wealthy  of  wearing  two 
undergarments  John  the  Baptist  has  been  supposed  to  al- 
lude as  to  a  needless  extravagance  in  saying  to  the  people 
(Luke  iii.  11)  :  "  He  that  hath  two  coats,  let  him  impart  to 
him  that  hath  none,"  and  our  Lord  in  directing  his  disci- 

^  Rnt  "coat"  (1  Sam.  ii.  19),  and  "cloak."  Isa.  lix.  17. 


198  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

pies  when  he  sent  them  forth  not  to  put  on  two  coatfij. 
Mark  vi.  9. 

The  upper  garment  (in  the  English  Version  commonly 
"  garment,"  "  raiment "  or  "  clothes  "*)  was  a  sort  of  shawl, 
or  a  large  square  piece  of  cloth,  which  was  wrapped  round 
the  person.  It  was  thrown  over  the  left  shoulder  and 
brought  round  over  or  under  the  right  arm,  and  fastened 
either  in  front  or  at  the  right  side,  the  pendent  ends  being 
called  "  skirts."  Hag.  ii.  12 ;  Zech.  viii.  23.  A  fringe  or 
tassels  were  attached  to  the  four  corners  by  a  blue  cord 
(Num.  XV.  38,  39 ;  Deut.  xxii.  12)  to  remind  the  wearer  of 
the  law  and  its  heavenly  origin.  These  are  the  "  borders 
of  their  garments  "  which  were  enlarged  by  the  Pharisees 
(Matt,  xxiii.  5),  and  possibly  also  the  hem  or  border  of 
Christ's  garment  touched  by  the  woman  who  was  healed. 
Matt.  ix.  20 ;  Luke  viii.  44.  These  upper  garments  were 
used  as  a  spread  upon  their  couches  at  night,  in  consequence 
of  which  they  were  not  to  be  taken  in  pledge  for  debt.  Ex. 
xxii.  26,  27  ;  Deut.  xxiv.  12,  13 ;  Amos  ii.  8.  To  this  our 
Lord  alludes  (Matt.  v.  40)  :  "  If  any  man  will  sue  thee  at 
the  law,  and  take  away  thy  coat,"  or  undergarment,  which 
he  might  legally  do,  "  let  him  have  thy  cloak  also,"  the  up- 
per garment,  to  which  he  was  not  entitled.  The  inactive  found 
in  the  ample  folds  of  this  dress  a  convenient  resting-place 
for  the  hands.  Hence  the  Psalmist,  entreating  God's  active 
interposition,  beseeches  him  to  pluck  his  right  hand  out  of 
his  bosom.  Ps.  Ixxiv.  ll.f     They  might  also  be  used  as  a 

*  Also  "robe"  (2  Chron.  xviii.  9,  29;  Mic.  ii.  8;  Jon.  iii.  6;  John 
xix,  2,  5),  and  "cloak."  Matt.  v.  40;  Luke  vi.  29. 

t  In  Prov.  xix.  24 ;  xxvi.  15,  the  word  rendered  "  bosom  "  proper- 
ly means  "  dish,"  as  it  is  correctly  translated  2  Kings  xxi.  13.  The 
man  is  too  lazy  to  lift  his  hand  to  his  mouth  from  the  common  dish, 
out  of  which  each  took  his  portion  with  his  fingers,  according  to 
Oriental  usage. 


ARCHJEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  199 

pocket.*  Thus  Haggai  speaks  (ii.  12)  of  carrying  holy- 
flesh  iu  the  skirt  of  the  garment,  and  our  Lord  of  good 
measure  being  given  into  one's  bosom.  Luke  vi.  38 ;  com- 
pare Ps.  Ixxix.  12.  Or  the  garment  might  be  taken  off  and 
spread  out  to  receive  whatever  might  be  wrapped  in  it,  and 
then  carried  like  a  bag  on  the  shoulders,  as  the  kneading- 
troughs  at  the  exodus  (Ex.  xii.  84),  the  earrings  taken  from 
the  Ishmaelites  (Judg.  viii.  25),  the  barley  given  to  Kuth 
(iii.  15),  where  "  veil "  should  be  "  upper  garment,"  the 
wild  gourds  gathered  for  pottage.  2  Kings  iv.  39 ;  compare 
Prov.  XXX.  4.  It  was  the  upper  garment  that  Ahijah 
snatched  from  Jeroboam  and  rent  into  twelve  pieces  (1 
Kings  xi.  30),  that  the  adherents  of  Jehu  laid  beneath  him 
on  the  stairs  (2  Kings  ix.  13),  that  were  put  upon  the  ass 
on  which  Jesus  rode  and  spread  in  the  way  before  him. 
Matt.  xxi.  8.  The  looseness  of  the  upper  garment  im- 
peded action  ;  hence  Bartimeus  cast  it  away  in  his  haste  to 
go  to  Jesus  (Mark  x.  50),  the  workman  going  to  the  field 
left  it  behind  him  (Matt.  xxiv.  18),  Jesus  laid  it  aside  to 
wash  his  disciples'  feet  (John  xiii.  4),  resuming  it  when  he 
had  finished  (ver.  12),  the  witnesses  who  took  part  in  ston- 
ing Stephen  laid  it  down  at  the  feet  of  Saul  (Acts  vii.  58), 
and  the  mob  incensed  at  Paul  cast  it  off  as  they  threw  dust 
into  the  air.  Acts  xxii.  23. 

The  upper  and  under  garment  are  sometimes  spoken  of 
together  in  the  same  passage.  Thus  at  the  crucifixion  of 
Jesus  the  soldiers  divided  his  upper  garment  into  four  parts 
and  parcelled  it  among  them,  but  cast  lots  for  the  coat,  or  un- 
dergarment, which  was  without  seam,  woven  from  the  top 
throughout.  John  xix.  23,  24.  Peter  was  shown  the  coats 
(or  tunics)  and  (upper)  garments  which  Dorcas  had  made 

*  In  Prov.  xvii.  23,  "A  gift  out  of  the  bosom,"  and  xxi.  14,  "a 
reward  in  the  bosom,"  may  be  one  taken  from  or  received  into  the 
pocket  of  the  dress ;  or  "  bosom  "  may  denote  the  privacy  of  a  man's 
thoughts,  and  the  expression  mean  a  secret  bribe. 


200  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

(Acts  ix.  39)  ;  Ezra  (ix.  3,  5)  rent  his  (upper)  garment  and 
his  mantle,  or  the  undergarment  worn  over  the  tunic  as  his 
robe  of  office. 

A  peculiar  sort  of  upper  garment  to  which  the  Hebrews 
gave  a  special  name  is  in  our  version  rendered  four  times 
garment  (Gen.  xxv.  25  ;  Josh.  vii.  21,  24 ;  Zech.  xiii.  4), 
five  times  mantle  (1  Kings  xix.  13,  19;  2  Kings  ii.  8,  13, 
14)  and  twice  robe.  Jon.  iii.  6 ;  Mic.  ii.  8.  It  appears  ta 
have  been  made  of  skin,  with  the  hair  or  fur  retained.  Gen. 
xxv.  25  ;  compare  Heb.  xi.  37.  Such  was  the  garment  of  the 
prophets  (Zech.  xiii.  4),  the  mantle  of  Elijah  (1  Kings  xix. 
13),  and  the  robe  of  ordinary  people  (Mic.  ii.  8),  which 
doubtless  were  plain  and  unpretending.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, they  were  elegant  and  costly,  as  that  imported  from 
Babylon  and  coveted  by  Achan  (Josh.  vii.  21),  and  that 
worn  by  the  king  of  Nineveh.  Jon.  iii.  6. 

Breeches  or  drawers  were  worn  by  the  priests  (Ex. 
xxviii.  42),  but  not  generally  by  others.  Some  authorities 
explain  the  word  rendered  "  coats''  in  the  dress  of  the  three 
men  cast  into  the  fiery  furnace  (Dan.  iii.  21)  as  meaning 
trowsers.  Others,  with  greater  probability,  think  it  to  de- 
note mantles,  as  it  is  in  the  margin. 

The  girdle  was  an  important  part  of  the  Eastern  dress. 
It  was  used  to  confine  the  loose  undergarment,  which  would 
otherwise  impede  motion.  Hence  Elijah  girded  up  his 
loins  when  he  ran  before  Ahab  (1  Kings  xviii.  46),  and  Da- 
vid when  he  danced  before  the  Lord  (2  Sam.  vi.  14),  Ge- 
hazi  (2  Kings  iv.  29)  and  the  son  of  the  prophets  (2  Kings 
ix.  1),  when  sent  upon  an  errand  by  Elisha,  and  our  Lord 
when  he  washed  his  disciples'  feet.  John  xiii.  4.  To  have  the 
loins  girded  is  a  figure  consequently  for  vigor  (Ps,  xviii.  32) 
and  readiness  for  action.  Luke  xii.  35.  The  soldier  wore  his 
dagger  (Judg.  iii.  16)  or  sword  (1  Sam.  xxv.  13;  2  Sam.  xx. 
8  ;  Ps.  xlv.  13)  in  his  girdle  or  belt,  which  was  accordingly  a 
necessary  part  of  his  equipment  (Isa.  v.  27 ;  Eph.  vi.  14),  and 


ARCHEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  201 

to  gird  himself  was  to  prepare  for  battle.  1  Kings  xx.  11 ;  Isa. 
viii.  9.  Money  was  also  carried  in  the  belt  (Matt.x.  9 ;  Mark 
vi.  8),  where  the  word  translated  purse  is  properly  girdle. 
The  girdle  was  made  of  leather  (2  Kings  i.  8 ;  Matt.  iii.  4),  of 
linen  (Jer.  xiii.  1),  and  fine  linen  or  byssus.  Ezek.  xvi.  10. 
It  was  sometimes  very  elaborately  wrought  or  richly  deco- 
rated with  gold  and  precious  stones  (compare  Dan.  x.  5  ; 
Kev.  i.  13),  and  was  highly  prized  as  an  article  of  female 
adornment  (Isa.  iii.  24 ;  xlix.  18  ;  Jer.  ii.  32,  where  the 
word  rendered  "attire"  means  properly  "girdle"),  and 
given  as  a  present  (1  Sam.  xviii.  4;  2  Sam.  xviii.  11)  or 
made  an  article  of  trade.  Pro  v.  xxxi.  24.  It  was  also 
reckoned  among  the  insignia  of  office.  Isa.  xxii.  21. 

It  remains  to  consider  what  was  worn  on  the  feet  and  on 
the  head.  Their  shoes  were  simply  sandals  of  wood  or 
leather  fastened  on  by  straps  or  thongs  (Gen.  xiv.  23 ;  Isa. 
V.  27),  and  put  off  on  entering  a  room  or  going  into  a 
sacred  place  (Ex.  iii.  5 ;  Josh.  v.  15),  though  worn  at  the 
passover  (Ex.  xii.  11),  which  was  eaten  as  if  in  readiness 
for  a  journey.  Shoes  were  commonly  of  a  paltry  price 
(Amos  ii.  6 ;  viii.  6),  but  those  of  ladies  were  often  ele- 
gant (Cant.  vii.  1)  and  of  costly  material.  Ezek.  xvi.  10. 
In  business  transactions  drawing  off  the  shoe  and  giving  it 
to  another  was  the  sign  of  the  transfer  of  property  upon 
which  it  had  trodden.  Deut.  xxv.  9,  10  ;  Kuth  iv.  7 ;  com- 
pare Josh.  i.  3.  The  sandals  of  the  wealthy  were  put  on, 
taken  off  and  carried  by  slaves.  This  is  hence  spoken  of  as 
a  menial  service.  Matt.  iii.  11 ;  Mark  i.  7. 

Turbans  were  worn  by  both  sexes  (Job  xxix.  14 ;  Isa.  iii. 
20 ;  Ezek.  xxiii.  15),  especially  by  the  rich  and  noble,  and 
on  festive  occasions  (Ezek.  xxiv.  17  ;  Isa.  Ixi.  3,  where 
*'  beauty,"  and  ver.  10,  where  "  ornaments,"  properly  denote 
a  head-dress).  But  it  seems  likely  that  people  commonly 
went  without  any  covering  on  their  heads  other  than  per- 
haps a  simple  band  to  confine  the  hair.     When  the  angel 


202  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

summoned  Peter  to  leave  the  prison  (Acts  xii.  8),  he  bade 
him  gird  himself,  bind  on  his  sandals  and  cast  his  upper 
garment  about  him,  but  said  nothing  about  putting  any- 
thing on  his  head.  Mourners  went  barefoot,  and  with  their 
head  covered  by  their  dress.  2  Sam.  xv.  30. 

The  veil  was  regarded  as  indispensable  to  well-bred 
ladies  (Gen.  xxiv.  65 ;  Cant.  v.  7),  though  in  patriarchal 
times  there  seems  to  have  been  more  freedom  in  this  respect 
than  subsequently.  Gen.  xii.  14 ;  xxiv.  15 ;  xxvi.  8.  Of 
female  ornaments  a  list  is  given  (Isa.  iii.  18-24),  some  partic- 
ulars of  which  are  now  obscure.  The  principal  of  them  are 
necklaces,  bracelets,  rings — not  only  on  the  fingers  and  in 
the  ears,  but  in  the  nose — mirrors  of  polished  metal  worn 
upon  the  person,  and  gold  or  silver  chains  connecting  the 
metallic  plates  upon  the  ankles,  so  as  to  regulate  the  step 
and  at  the  same  time  to  produce  a  tinkling  sound.  Men 
carried  a  cane  or  stafi",  and  a  seal-ring  either  upon  the  fin- 
ger or  on  a  cord  suspended  from  the  neck  (Gen.  xxxviii. 
18) ;  and  both  Joseph  in  Egypt  (Gen.  xii.  42)  and  Daniel 
in  Babylon  (Dan.  v.  29)  were  honored  by  putting  a  gold  chain 
about  their  necks. 

Two  foreign  articles  of  dress  are  mentioned  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. The  scarlet  robe  put  on  the  Saviour  in  mockery 
(Matt,  xxvii.  28)  was  the  mantle  worn  by  Roman  generals 
and  officers,  and  even  by  emperors  at  a  later  time.  The 
cloak  of  Paul  (2  Tim,  iv.  13)  was  worn  by  both  sexes  over 
the  tunic.  It  had  no  sleeves,  merely  an  opening  for  the 
head,  and  a  hood  which  could  be  drawn  over  the  head  in 
cold  or  wet  weather. 


ARCHJEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  203 


LJESSOJy  III. 
DWELLINGS. 

It  has  been  conjectured  that  in  the  earliest  ages  men  con- 
tented themselves  with  the  rudest  possible  habitations,  seek- 
ing shelter  in  natural  caverns,  which  they  afterward  im- 
proved by  art,  or  in  booths  and  sheds  slightly  constructed 
from  boughs  of  trees,  until  they  gradually  learned  to  pro- 
vide themselves  with  better  and  more  suitable  abodes. 
Whatever  may  be  thought  of  this  theory,  it  derives 
no  support  from  the  facts  recorded  in  the  Bible,  which 
speaks  of  a  city  as  already  built  by  Cain  (Gen.  iv.  7), 
implying,  of  course,  houses  and  permanent  dwellings.  A 
more  rational  and  better  accredited  opinion  regards  the 
different  styles  of  habitation  as  contemporaneous  rather 
than  successive,  and  seeks  the  ground  of  their  diversity  in 
the  various  grades  of  civilization  in  which  men  are  found, 
the  nature  of  their  occupation  and  the  materials  within 
their  reach. 

The  Horites,  or  primitive  inhabitants  of  Mount  Seir 
(Gen.xiv.  6  ;  Dent.  ii.  12),  are  thought  to  have  derived  their 
name  from  their  living  in  the  caves  with  which  that  region 
abounds,  and  which,  in  later  times,  were  fashioned  into  the 
elegant  rock-hewn  structures  of  the  city  of  Petra.  And 
Job  (xxx.  6)  speaks  of  miserable  vagabonds  dwelling  in 
caves.  Xhe  numerous  and  spacious  caverns  of  Palestine  are 
often  spoken  of  as  affording  concealment  and  refuge.  Thus 
Lot  and  his  daughters  took  up  their  abode  in  a  cave  after 
the  destruction  of  Sodom.  Gen.  xix.  30.  Five  kings  of  the 
Amorites,  fleeing  before  Joshua,  hid  themselves  in  the  cave 
at  Makkedah.  Josh.  x.  16.  Israel,  oppressed  by  Midian 
(Judg.  vi.  2)  and  by  the  Philistines  (1  Sam.  xiii.  6),  Sara- 
son,  beset  by  foes  (Judg.  xv.  8),  David,  pursued  by  Saul  (1 
Sam.  xxii.  1 ;  xxiv.  3),  prophets   persecuted  by  Ahab  (1 


204  PREPARING   TO   TEACH, 

Kings  xviii.  4),  and  godly  men  in  other  periods  of  persecu- 
tion (Heb.  xi.  38),  sought  concealment  in  caves.  They  were 
also  resorted  to  by  lawless  or  distressed  classes  (1  Sam.xxii. 
2)  to  escape  the  restraints  or  burdens  of  society;  but  they 
were  not  used  as  places  of  permanent  abode  until  they  were 
occupied  for  this  purpose  by  the  hermits  of  a  later  period. 
Tradition  indicates  certain  grottoes  as  the  scene  of  our 
Lord's  nativity  (Luke  ii.  7),  and  of  various  other  events  of 
the  sacred  history,  but,  so  far  as  appears,  without  any  good 
foundation. 

Booths  are  only  spoken  of  as  constructed  for  cattle  (Gen. 
xxxiii.  17),  or  to  afford  temporary  shelter  in  case  of  need, 
as  in  the  case  of  Jonah  before  Nineveh  (Jon.  iv.  5),  of  gar- 
deners and  husbandmen  (Job  xxvii.  18  ;  Isa.  i.  8),  and  of 
the  entire  people  at  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  Lev.  xxiii.  42. 

Nomad  tribes  dwelt  in  tents,  which  could  easily  be  trans- 
ported from  place  to  place.  Judg.  vi.  5  ;  Isa.  xiii.  20 ;  Hab. 
iii.  7.  So  did  soldiers  under  arms  (2  Kings  vii.  7)  and 
shepherds  whose  care  of  flocks  obliged  them  to  lead  a  rov- 
ing life.  Isa.  xxxviii.  12.  Jabal,  the  son  of  Lamech  (Gen. 
iv.  20),  is  said  to  have  been  the  "father  of  such  as  dwell  in 
tents  and  have  cattle."  The  patriarchs  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob  lived  in  tents  in  Canaan  as  pilgrims  and  shep- 
herds (Gen.  xviii.  1 ;  xxvi.  17 ;  xxxiii.  18),  though  their 
ancestors  and  relatives  in  Mesopotamia  had  houses  and  set- 
tled abodes.  Gen.  xxiv.  10,  23.  Tents  were  sometimes 
covered  with  skins  or  mats,  but  mostly  with  cloths,  or,  as 
they  are  called,  curtains,  woven  from  wool  or  from  goats' 
hair.  Ex.  xxvi.  7,  14.  Those  of  goats'  hair  were  black. 
Cant.  i.  5 ;  iv.  1.  These  cloths  were  stretched  oyer  one  or 
more  upright  poles  and  fastened  to  the  ground  by  cords  and 
pins.  Ex.  XXXV.  18 ;  Judg.  iv.  21  ;  Jer.  x.  20.  Tents, 
whether  round  or  oblong,  were  divided  by  hangings  into  two, 
or  those  of  the  better  class  into  three,  apartments,  one  for 
the  women  and  children,  one  for  the  men  and  one  for  ser- 


ARCHEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  205 

vants  or  cattle.  Wealthy  families  had  separate  tents  for 
women.  Gen.  xxiv.  67 ;  xxxi.  33.  The  towns  and  castles 
of  the  sons  of  Ishmael  (Gen.  xxv.  16)  and  the  villages  of 
Kedar  (Isa.  xlii.  11)  were  collections  of  tents  or  nomadic 
encampments. 

Houses  were  sometimes  built  of  brick,  either  burned,  as  at 
Babel  (Gen.  xi.  4),  or  simply  dried  in  the  sun,  as  those  made 
by  the  children  of  Israel  in  Egypt,  in  which  straw  was  min- 
gled with  the  clay.  Ex.  v.  7.  The  use  of  the  latter  explains 
the  fact  that  it  was  possible  to  dig  through  a  wall  (Ezek. 
xii.  5,  7),  and  that  a  house  neglected  and  exposed  to  the 
vicissitudes  of  the  weather  would  be  reduced  to  a  heap  of 
dirt.  Dan.  iii.  29.  Stone  was,  however,  regarded  as  the 
nobler  and  better  material  (Isa.  ix.  10),  the  use  of  which  is 
presupposed  in  the  narrative  of  the  tower  of  Babel  (Gen. 
xi.  3),  as  well  as  in  the  law  of  leprosy.  Lev.  xiv.  40,  42. 
The  temple  (1  Kings  v.  17)  and  palace  of  Solomon  (1 
Kings  vii.  9)  and  the  residences  of  the  rich  (Amos  v.  11) 
were  of  hewn  stone,  which  were  often  very  costly,  so  that 
the  terra  "  precious  stones "  is  used  both  of  those  employed 
in  building  (2  Chron.  iii.  6;  Isa.  xxviii.  16;  1  Pet.  ii.  4) 
and  of  gems.  1  Kings  x.  2  ;  1  Chron.  xx.  2.  We  read  of 
marble  among  the  materials  of  the  temple  (1  Chron.  xxix. 
2)  and  in  the  palace  of  Ahasuerus.  Esth.  i.  6.  The  festiv- 
ity connected  with  laying  the  corner-stone  of  public  edifices 
is  alluded  to.  Ezra.  iii.  10 ;  Zech.  iv.  7  ;  Job  xxxviii.  6,  7. 
The  cement  used  at  Babel  was  slime,  Gen.  xi.  3 — i.e.,  bitu- 
men or  asphaltum.  Isaiah  (xxx.  12)  speaks  of  lime,  and  the 
same  word  is  rendered  plaster.  Deut.  xxvii.  4.  Mud  was  also 
Used  for  mortar  (Lev.  xiv.  42,  45,  where  the  word  so  trans- 
lated means  properly  "  dust "  or  "  earth  ").  The  acquaint- 
ance of  the  ancient  Hebrews  with  the  structure  and  use  of 
the  arch  is  directly  vouched  for,  if  this  is  intended,  as  able 
scholars  suppose,  by  the  words  improperly  translated  "  emi- 
nent place"  (Ezek.  xvi.  24)  and  "troop."  Amos  ix.  6.    The 

18 


206  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

wood-work  was  commonly  of  sycamore  (Isa.  ix.  10),  though 
in  more  elegant  and  costly  structures  olive,  fir  (or  cypress), 
cedar  and  almug  trees  (or  sandal-wood)  were  employed.  1 
Kings  vi.  15,31;  x.  12,27. 

Houses  of  the  better  class  were  built  in  a  quadrangle 
around  a  central  court,  which  was  paved  (Esth.  i.  6)  and 
often  very  spacious  (Neh.  viii.  16),  with  trees  and  flowers 
and  a  well  or  fountain  (2  Sam.  xvii.  18),  and  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  covered  colonnade  or  portico  (whence  the 
figures  Ps.  Ixxv.  3  ;  Prov.  ix.  1 ;  Gal.  ii.  9),  which  was  often 
surmounted  by  a  gallery  protected  by  a  balustrade.  2  Kings 
i.  2.  The  court  was  the  favorite  resort  of  the  family,  as 
well  as  frequented  for  social  purposes  and  on  festive  occasions. 
Esth.  i.  5  ;  V.  1.  The  innermost  apartments  were  assigned 
to  the  women,  or  separate  houses  built  for  them.  1  Kings 
vii.  8  ;  Esth.  ii.  3. 

The  roofs  were  flat  and  covered  with  a  compact  mass  of 
pebbles,  plaster  and  other  materials,  or  sometimes  simply 
with  earth ;  hence  the  mention  of  "  grass  upon  the  house- 
tops." 2  Kings  xix.  26 ;  Ps.  cxxix.  6.  Such  roofs,  of  course, 
were  not  always  impervious  to  rain.  Prov.  xxvii.  15.  They 
were  required  by  the  law  to  be  protected  by  a  low  wall  or 
parapet.  Deut.  xxii.  18.  The  roof  was  used  for  a  great 
variety  of  purposes.  There  Kahab  had  the  stalks  of  flax 
under  which  she  hid  the  spies  (Josh.  ii.  6)  ;  on  it  David 
slept  and  walked  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  (2  Sam.  xi.  2) ; 
to  it  Samuel  took  Saul  for  private  conversation  (1  Sam.  ix. 
25) ;  Peter  went  thither  for  prayer  (Acts  x.  9) ;  altars 
were  erected  there  for  idolatrous  purposes  (2  Kings  xxiii. 
12);  incense  was  burned  there,  and  drink-offerings  poured* 
out  (Jer.  xix.  13 ;  xxxii.  29  ;  Zeph.  i.  5) ;  three  thousand 
men  and  women  were  on  the  roof  of  the  temple  of  Dagon 
to  behold  while  Samson  made  sport.  Judg.  xvi.  27.  We 
read  of  proclaiming  on  the  housetops  (Luke  xii.  3),  of  lam- 
entation on  the  housetops  (Isa.  xv.  3 ;  Jer.  xlviii.  38),  of 


ARCHEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  207 

going  to  the  roof  to  fight  (Judg.  ix.  51),  of  booths  erected 
there  during  the  feast  of  tabernacles  (Neh.  viii.  16)  ;  and  a 
general  excitement  or  commotion  in  a  city  is  represented  by 
saying  that  the  whole  population  had  gone  up  to  the  house- 
tops. Isa.  xxii.  1.  The  friends  of  a  paralytic  in  bringing 
him  to  Jesus  uncovered  the  roof  where  he  was,  and  after 
breaking  it  up  let  the  sick  man  down  through  the  tiling. 
Mark  ii.  4 ;  Luke  v.  19.  Some  have  sought  to  accommo- 
date these  expressions  to  the  removal  of  an  awning  stretched 
over  the  court,  but  their  proper  force  implies  that  they  dug 
through  the  earth  or  plaster  of  the  roof  and  let  him  down 
into  the  room  beneath  where  Jesus  was  with  the  crowd. 
They  were  able  to  reach  the  roof  by  steps  leading  to  it 
from  the  street  without  passing  through  the  house,  which 
likewise  explains  our  Lord's  direction  (Mark  xiii.  15) : 
"  Let  him  that  is  on  the  housetop  not  go  down  into  the 
house." 

Frequent  mention  is  made  of  the  "  upper  chamber,"  a 
large  and  important  room  in  the  second  story,  sometimes 
itself  constituting  all  there  was  of  a  second  story,  being 
built  above  the  general  level  of  the  roof.  It  was  in  this 
King  Eglon  was  found  when  Ehud  came  to  him.  Judg.  iii. 
20.  It  was  often  appropriated  to  the  use  of  guests,  as  the 
chamber  occupied  by  Elijah  (1  Kings  xvii.  19),  the  chamber 
on  the  wall  assigned  to  Elisha  (2  Kings  iv.  10),  and  the 
guest-chamber  where  our  Lord  and  his  apostles  partook  of 
the  Last  Supper.  Mark  xiv.  15.  It  was  in  an  upper  cham- 
ber that  David  mourned  for  Absalom  (2  Sam.  xviii.  33), 
that  Daniel  thrice  a  day  offered  prayer  (Dan.  vi.  10),  and 
that  the  early  disciples  assembled  after  the  ascension  of  the 
Saviour.  Acts  i.  13.  It  was  in  an  upper  chamber  too  that 
the  body  of  Tabitha  was  prepared  for  interment.  Acts  ix. 
37.  The  house  in  Troas  where  Paul  preached  (Acts.  xx. 
9)  had  a  "third  loft"  or  third  story.  The  only  other 
buildings  mentioned  in  Scripture  of  which  this  is  expressly 


208  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

stated  are  Noah's  ark  (Gen.  vi.  16),  the  structures  adjacent 
to  the  temple  (1  Kings  vi.  6,  8)  and  the  house  of  the  forest 
of  Lebanon.  1  Kings  vii.  4,  5. 

The  house  was  entered  by  an  outer  gate,  on  the  side-posts 
and  lintels  of  which  passages  were  often  inscribed  from  the 
law  (Deut.  vi.  9  ;  xi.  20),  and  which  was  opened  by  a  por- 
ter or  maid  (John  xviii.  16 ;  Acts  xii.  18),  and  led  into  a 
vestibule  (called  a  porch  Matt.  xxvi.  71 ;  Mark  xiv.  68) 
that  served  as  an  ante-room  from  which  one  could  either 
ascend  by  steps  or  winding  stairs  (1  Kings  vi.  8)  to  the  roof 
or  upper  chamber,  or  pass  on  through  a  door  into  the  court, 
whence  access  was  gained  to  the  several  rooms  of  the  house. 
The  doors  were  commonly  low  (Prov.  xvii.  19),  though  in 
stately  edifices  high  folding-doors  were  used.  1  Kings  vi. 
34  ;  Ezek.  xli.  24.  Tenons  inserted  in  the  top  and  bottom 
of  the  door,  and  moving  in  sockets  in  the  lintel  and  sill, 
answered  for  hinges.  1  Kings  vii.  50 ;  Prov.  xxvi.  14. 
The  doors  were  fastened  by  bars  or  wooden  bolts,  which, 
when  pushed  into  place,  were  secured  by  pins  dropping  into 
holes  to  which  they  were  severally  fitted.  These  pins  could 
be  raised  and  the  bolt  withdrawn  by  a  key  from  the  outside. 
Judg.  iii.  25 ;  Cant.  v.  5.  The  windows  were  unglazed  lat- 
tices, extending  nearly  to  the  floor,  and  opening  not  merely 
upon  the  court,  as  is  almost  exclusively  the  case  in  modern 
Oriental  houses,  but  likewise  upon  the  street,  so  that  the 
mother  of  Sisera  could  watch  for  his  coming  (Judg.  v.  28), 
Jezebel  be  thrown  into  the  street  on  the  demand  of  Jehu 
(2  Kings  ix.  30-33),  a  bride  could  see  her  beloved's  ap- 
proach (Cant.  ii.  9),  one  within  the  house  have  a  full  view 
of  what  was  passing  without  (Prov.  vii.  6),  and  Daniel 
could  have  his  windows  opened  toward  Jerusalem.  Dan.  vi. 
10.  The  blank  walls  which  Oriental  houses  now  present  on 
their  exterior  are  the  result  of  long  oppression,  and  have  been 
resorted  to  as  a  defence  against  espionage  and  unwelcome 
intrusion.     The  passages  above  cited  also  show  that  the 


ARCHEOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE.  209 

women  were  not  restricted,  as  now,  to  apartments  looking 
out  upon  the  garden  at  the  back  of  the  house. 

Walls  were  mostly  whitewashed.  Matt,  xxiii.  27.  The 
word  rendered  "untempered  mortar"  (Ezek.  xiii.  10)  pro- 
perly means  "  whitewash,"  which  the  prophet  declares  can- 
not hide  the  defects  of  the  badly-constructed  wall.  In 
palaces  the  interior  walls  were  painted  with  more  showy 
colors  and  wainscoted.  Jer.  xxii.  14 ;  1  Kings  vii.  7.  The 
"  ceiled  houses  "  spoken  of  in  Hag.  i.  4  are  properly  houses 
thus  wainscoted.  For  still  greater  elegance  they  were  some- 
times inlaid  with  ivory,  as  the  ivory  house  of  Ahab  (1 
Kings  xxii.  39),  those  spoken  of  in  Amos  iii.  15  and  the 
ivory  palaces  of  Ps.  xlv.  8.  The  floors  were  of  plaster  or 
mosaic.  la  cold  weather  fire  was  kindled  in  the  court 
(Luke  xxii.  55),  or  in  a  vessel  set  in  the  centre  of  the 
apartment,  for  which  there  was  sometimes  a  cavity 
sunk  in  the  floor.  Isa.  xlvii.  14.  The  hearth  before  which 
King  Jehoiakira  sat  (Jer.  xxxvi.  22)  was  such  a  pot 
or  pan  of  coals.  In  Eastern  houses  at  the  present  day, 
when  the  fire  has  burnt  down,  a  frame  like  a  table  is  placed 
over  the  pot,  and  the  whole  is  then  covered  with  a  carpet ; 
and  those  who  wish  to  warm  themselves  sit  upon  the  floor 
and  thrust  their  feet  and  legs,  and  even  the  lower  part  of 
their  bodies,  under  the  carpet.  There  were  no  chimneys, 
but  the  smoke  escaped  through  the  windows.  The  word 
translated  "  chimney  "  (Hos.  xiii.  3)  means  a  "  lattice."  In 
the  houses  of  the  rich  there  were  sometimes  distinct  apart- 
ments for  summer  and  for  winter.  Judg.  iii.  20 ;  Amos  iii. 
15.  The  "boiling-places"  spoken  of  (Ezek.  xlvi.  23,  24) 
were  probably  kitchens. 

The  furniture  of  dwellings  varied  then,  as  now,  of  course, 
with  the  wealth  and  taste  of  the  owner.  In  the  room  pro- 
vided for  Elisha  (2  Kings  iv.  10)  there  was  a  bed,  table, 
stool  or  chair,  and  candlestick  or  lamp-stand.  A  raised 
platform  at  the  end  or  on  the  sides  of  the  room  with  cush- 

18  » 


210  PREPARING   TO   TEACH. 

ions  and  pillows  (Ezek.  xiii.  18)  *  or  a  low  bedstead  (Ps.  vi 
6;  Amos  iii.  12),  which  in  the  houses  of  the  rich  was  oftei: 
inlaid  with  ivory  (Amos  vi.  4)  and  supplied  with  costly 
coverings  (Prov.  vii.  16),  answered  the  double  purpose  of  a 
seat  by  day  and  of  a  bed  at  night.  Chairs  were  more 
usual  among  the  ancient  Israelites  (Prov.  ix.  14)  and  Egypt- 
ians than  in  the  East  at  present. 

The  population  dwelt  both  in  walled  cities,  which  were 
often  strongly  fortified,  like  those  of  Bashan,  which  were 
"  fenced  with  high  walls,  gates  and  bars  "  (Deut.  iii.  5),  and 
in  unwalled  towns  and  villages.  Lev.  xxv.  29,  31 ;  1  Sam. 
vi.  18 ;  Ezek.  xxxviii.  11.  The  streets,  as  in  Eastern  towns 
in  modern  times,  were  doubtless  for  the  most  part  narrow 
and  crooked,  though  the  principal  avenues  were  broader 
(Nah.  ii.  4 ;  Cant.  iii.  2) ;  and  one  street  in  Damascus  bore 
the  name  of  "Straight."  Acts  ix.  11.  The  vast  size  of 
Babylon  and  Nineveh,  which  is  called  a  city  of  three  days' 
journey  (Jon.  iii.  3),  is  accounted  for  by  the  existence  of 
gardens  and  large  open  spaces  within  the  city  limits.  The 
mire  of  the  streets  (Isa.  x.  6 ;  Zech.  ix.  3)  implies  that  they 
were  commonly  unpaved,  though,  if  Joseph  us  is  to  be  cred- 
ited, Solomon  paved  the  roads  leading  to  Jerusalem  with 
black  stone — a  process  which  would  probably  be  extended 
to  the  principal  streets  of  the  city  itself.  He  further  states 
that  Jerusalem  was  paved  with  white  stone  by  direction  of 
Herod  Agrippa.  Open  spaces  near  the  gates  were  used  for 
markets  (2  Kings  vii.  1),  for  tribunals  of  justice  (2  Sam.xv. 
2 ;  Job  V.  4;  xxix.  7),  for  the  transaction  of  business  (Gen. 
xxiii.  10;  Ruth  iv.  1,  11 ;  Prov.  xxxi.  23)  and  for  public 
assemblies..  2  Chron.  xxxii.  6  ;  Neh.  viii.  1. 

*  Literally,  "  Woe  to  the  women  that  sew  pillows  to  all  hand-joints," 
the  soft  appliances  by  which  false  prophets  lull  the  people  to  an  easy 
security  being  represented  by  an  over-refinement  of  luxury  which 
would  place  pillows  not  only  under  the  arms  and  elbows  of  those  who 
recline  or  lean  upon  them,  but  under  the  very  wrists  and  knuckles. 


